You may wonder what’s so international about the International Watch Company. Now known as IWC, the Schaffhausen-based brand is the only major European watch company founded by an American, Florentine Aristo Jones, who partnered with Swiss watchmaker Johann Heinrich Moser in 1868. The brand is perhaps best known today for their aviation watches and chronographs, but they’ve been a leader in the realm of complicated watches and have more recently pushed the industry through creative case materials. Let’s have a look at IWC’s watch model evolution – starting in the 1930s:
1930s: IWC Portuguese (ref. 325)
The Portuguese – renamed the Portugieser in 2016 – is one of IWC’s early successes. The model was a response to Portuguese dealers who asked the brand for an oversized watch. The watch was actually large enough to require a pocket watch movement. Production for this watch went dormant for some time but was resurrected by the company in 1993.
1955: IWC Ingenieur (ref. 666)
The understated example of mid-century design reflected the public’s growing desire for a durable and dependable steel sports watch. As the name suggests, the antimagnetic Ingenieur was originally designed for engineers and scientists before branching out into the consumer realm. The, of course, watch would later get the magic touch from famed designer Gerald Genta. Collectors particularly love the zippy Ingenieur logo at six o’clock on these early versions of the watch.
1967: IWC Aquatimer (ref. 812)
Continuing with the theme of robust steel sport watches, the Aquatimer line of divers served professionals and hobbyists alike starting in the late 1960s. Unlike divers from Rolex, Tudor, or Omega, the Aquatimer initially featured in internal rotating bezel controlled by a second crown. The Aquatimer has evolved with through the decades and continues to be IWC’s hallmark diver.
1969: IWC Da Vinci (ref. 3501)
The Da Vinci that debuted in 1969 was an unfamiliar but necessary move by IWC to capture new and growing demand for electronic watches. The watch features the Beta21 movement developed in collaboration by brands like Patek Philippe, Breitling, and Heuer. What’s interesting about this Da Vinci reference is not just its era-appropriate architecture but the fact that its case and bracelet are built in full white gold, adding a distinctly luxurious air to one of Switzerland’s first quartz watches.
1982: IWC Ocean 2000
Watch and car collaborations are commonplace today, and perhaps one of the best known (and still popular) crossovers in our industry’s history is that between IWC and designer F.A. Porsche. The partnership produced a delightfully 80s collection of watches with perhaps the most popular example being the Ocean 2000. It’s a pared back diver with a distinctly impressive depth rating of 2000m.
1984: IWC Portofino
The dressiest piece on today’s list is the IWC Portofino. The model line is a slim and sophisticated approach to watchmaking that uses classical cues like Roman numerals, minimal dials, and the occasional moonphase complication. Contrary to so many other dress watches, the Portofino featured oversized cases like the 46mm example seen here, making for a watch that doesn’t shout but is noticeable nonetheless.
1985: IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar (ref. 3750)
The case design of this this watch is not universally loved, but the movement inside and the man who pioneered it certainly are. In 1985, IWC debuted the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, the first perpetual with a movement controlled adjusted entirely by the crown. The revolutionary movement by Kurt Klaus made this the most user-friendly perpetual calendar to date.
1993: IWC Mark XII
IWC’s Mark series is a no frills, no nonsense line of watches made for military pilots. The anti-magnetic Mark IX is a well-known example from the late 1930s, and the Mark XI was used by the British Air Force during much of the 20th The 1990s Mark XII carries on this legacy at a rather reasonable rate on the secondary market. These are some of the last to feature tritium lume, and they look great on either a strap or a bracelet.
2007: IWC Pilot Chronograph Top Gun (ref. IW3799)
When you think of IWC, pilot chronographs like the Top Gun here will certainly be top of mind. Big, bold, and surprisingly legible for a complicated watch, the Top Gun line is the civilian version of the other Top Gun watches gifted only to graduates of the US military’s most elite flight school. These watches appeal to aviation fans as well as movie fans and provide the perfect canvas for IWC to showcase innovative new materials like ceratanium
2024: IWC Ingenieur
We end with a watch we’ve seen before on this list. IWC has been leaning more on Gerald Genta’s version of the Ingenieur as the brand has revived and expanded the collection in recent years through new dials, sizes, and case materials. The bones of the watch may be archival in nature, but it – and the iterations sure to come – will no doubt be crucial in building in the brand’s future.
