IWC — TELLING TIME SINCE 1868

IWC covers the sky, the sea, and the seasons with a new pilot’s watch, diver’s watch, and a perpetual calendar

TELLING TIME

SINCE 1868

In the late 1930s, IWC International Watch Company of Schaffhausen received a request from two Portuguese importers of IWC timepieces to purchase precise men’s wristwatches with steel cases and pocket-watch-sized dimensions. The watches were so popular, the Portugieser became part of the regular collection, and today, because of its size, it is the model designated for some of IWC’s most complicated movements. This year, IWC is introducing a new perpetual calendar to the elite Portugieser line. Functions include day, date, moon phase, and IWC’s signature four-day year display, with perpetual calendar programming — it does not need adjustment for shorter months, and it accounts for leap years. The automatic movement is from IWC’s stateof-the-art 5200-caliber series, with a Pellaton winding system and a seven-day power reserve. This is important, since setting a perpetual calendar can be time-consuming and often requires taking the watch in to a service center. There is a hacking small seconds display, which makes it possible to set the watch to the second.

Producing aviator watches is an important part of IWC’s heritage. The latest example is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire. It contains the IWC-manufactured caliber 69380, a robust chronograph movement with a classic column wheel design and a bidirectional pawl-winding system with a 46-hour power reserve. A softiron inner case protects the movement from magnetic fields, which can affect the precision. The colors — black dial and green textile strap — were inspired by the cockpit of the Spitfire, the famous World War II fighter aircraft. Functions include chronograph, day, and date.

IWC Schaffhausen also produces serious dive watches that help make a difference in environmental conservation. Since 2003, IWC has supported the Jacques Cousteau Society, which is dedicated to setting up marine conservation zones. The Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Expedition Jacques-Yves Cousteau is the sixth special edition to bear the name of Cousteau, some of the proceeds of which support the cause. This one is dedicated to Cousteau Divers, a Cousteau Society program that empowers recreational divers worldwide to study and protect marine life. The divers carry a precision temperature sensor and gather data that will help scientists study ocean temperature and climate change. The IWC Aquatimer Automatic Edition Expedition Jacques-Yves Cousteau is water resistant to 300 meters and contains the automatic caliber 30120, with a 42-hour power reserve.