IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

“AMERICAN PIONEERING SPIRIT MEETS SWISS TRADITION.”

The heritage of IWC is a story seldom told, and so most people would see the roots of this company that so dominantly names the city of its origins in its name. And indeed, Schaffhausen, Switzerland is the place where in 1868 a company began a story that is still being written today. The founder, however, was a man from Rumney, New Hampshire, USA. It was his American pioneering spirit and entrepreneurship that would start IWC, the acronym of the International Watch Company, Schaffhausen.

The son of a cobbler, Florentine Ariosto “F.A.” Jones’s interest in watchmaking was the result of the influence of two greatuncles who worked in the field. It opened the doors to F.A’s first job in the at E. Howard Watch & Clock Co. in Roxbury, Massachusetts, followed by a collaboration with the watchmaker G.P. Reed in Boston. At the end of the Civil War, in 1865, the idea of becoming a watch manufacturer in Switzerland formed in the head of Jones. And after a few unsuccessful contacts in Geneva, it was in Schaffhausen, far from the watchmaking centres of French-speaking Switzerland but with a centuries-old horological tradition, that Jones found what was needed for the launch of this industrial enterprise: A hydroelectric plant in the Rhine, built by Johann Heinrich Moser (watchmaker and industrial pioneer), would provide the power for the machines at the future IWC factory.

In 1868, the “International Watch Co.” - international, because the sales offices were in New York - was founded in Schaffhausen, combining advanced American production technologies with the skilled craftsmanship for which Swiss watchmakers were famous. Jones’s goal: to manufacture pocket watch movements of the highest possible quality.

The company’s reputation was established from the start with its first movement, the eponymous Jones calibre. The growing company soon had to leave its first factory premises and in 1874/5 a new factory was built. It is the company’s headquarters to this day, expanded in 2005 and 2008, on the banks of the River Rhine. The company had 196 employees at the time.

Ten years later, in 1880, Jones’ returned to the United States and Johannes Rauschenbach-Vogel, an engine-manufacturer from Schaffhausen, took over the company. After his death in 1881, his son Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk took over the helm and in 1885, introduceed the Pallweber pocket watches, with their revolutionary digital display for hours and minutes. The end of the 19th century saw the appearance of IWC’s first wristwatches featuring the company’s small 64-calibre ladies’ pocket watch movement.

In 1885, IWC demonstrated its innovative spirit in the Pallweber pocket watches, with their revolutionary digital display for hours and minutes. The end of the 19th century saw the appearance of IWC’s first wristwatches featuring the 64-calibre pocket watch movement.

1900-1944

In 1903, two words were added that have been part of the brand ever since. “Probus Scafusia”, which can best be translated as “good quality” or sometimes “the honest watch.”

Following the death of Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk in 1905, Schaffhausen industrialist Ernst Jakob Homberger took over the company. This era saw the development of new calibres designed specifically for wristwatches (1915), and the birth of two watch families which are still true icons to this day. The first “Spezialuhr für Flieger” (1936) established the tradition of producing Pilot’s Watches in Schaffhausen, which, thanks to their unmistakable design, are still popular across the world today. As Portuguese importers ordered a series of large wristwatches with high-precision pocket watch calibres, the first Portugieser model left IWC’s workshops in 1939. In 1940, in response to high demand, IWC developed the Big Pilot’s Watch 52 T.S.C. with a central seconds hand.

1945-1949

The post-war years were characterized by the increased use of technology in people’s everyday lives. More and more appliances created magnetic fields which can negatively impact the accuracy of mechanical watches. It is during this time that Albert Pellaton became Technical Director at IWC Schaffhausen. Among his inventions are the extremely accurate 89 calibre (1946), or the soft-iron inner case, which protects watch movements against magnetic fields. Both innovations can be found in the Pilot’s Watch Mark 11 (1948). Pellaton also developed a particularly efficient bidirectional pawlwinding system, replacing the traditional reciprocal gearing. This first automatic winding mechanism (85 calibre) became a patented proprietary development by IWC and shot to fame

1950-1977

In 1955, Hans Ernst Homberger became the company’s last private owner. In the same year, the first Ingenieur was launched. Its simple round design has since returned and become a distinctive feature of this sporty and elegant watch family. A few years later, in 1967, IWC launched the first Aquatimer, and with it wrote the first chapter in a success story of diver’s watches from Schaffhausen that continues to this day. The company also played a key role in developing the first-ever Swiss-made quartz movement “Beta 21” (1969), which premiered in the first Da Vinci with a distinctive hexagonal gold case. In 1976, IWC introduced the Ingenieur SL, an instant classic, and in 1977 the unveiling of the 9721 calibre, the first pocket watch from IWC with a calendar and moon phase display, rang in the construction of Complications.

1978-1999

Big changes were coming to IWC in 1978. It was the peak of the quartz crisis. The German instrument manufacturer VDO Adolf Schindling AG took over IWC and a collaboration with designer F.A. Porsche resulted in the first wristwatch with a builtin compass.

IWC deliberately focused on creating masterpieces of watchmaking art. With the world’s first watch case made from titanium, designed by F.A. Porsche (1980), IWC laid the foundation for its unparalleled expertise in the area of materials. In 1982 IWC launched the ultra-rugged Ocean 2000 diver’s watch, pressure-resistant to 200 bar, and in 1985, the perpetual calendar from Kurt Klaus made its debut in the Da Vinci family. It is mechanically programmed for the next 500 years and can be set merely by turning the crown.

Following seven years of development, 1990 saw a quantum leap in precision watchmaking: IWC launched its first Grande Complication and reached the pinnacle of haute horlogerie. To mark its 125th anniversary, IWC unveiled what was then the world’s most complicated mechanical wristwatch: Il Destriero Scafusia. “The Warhorse of Schaffhausen” was offered in a limited edition of 125 pieces and featured several complications, including a tourbillon, split-seconds, minute repeater and perpetual calendar.

The New Millennium

With the extra-large 5000 calibre, which runs for seven days non-stop and features a power reserve display and a Pellaton automatic winding system, IWC’s designers developed the company’s own movement for large wristwatches. The same year, 2000, IWC became a part of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, also known as Richemont, a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988.

In 2002, IWC launched what remains one of the most accomplished watches inspired by aviation – the Big Pilot, reflecting the big 46mm diameter of its case.

2018 marked the 150th anniversary of the Swiss manufacturer. At the annual presentation at the SIHH in Geneva, IWC presented the Jubilee Collection, comprising 27 limited editions of the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot and Da Vinci lines, and a tribute to the Pallweber model. Limited to only 500 watches, the wristwatch has a stainless steel case, a blue dial and white display discs. As a reference to the historic pocket watches, the windows of the digital display are labelled as “Hours” and “Minutes”. The 94200 calibre guarantees a 60-hour power reserve.

IWC continuously expands its six watch families with precision engineering and exclusive design. In the Portugieser line, a double moon display was added to the perpetual calendar in 2003, while this mechanism featured a digital display for the date and month for the first time in the Da Vinci family. IWC introduced the external/internal rotating bezel for the Aquatimer and launched its first watch with a bronze case. The Annual Calendar complication shows the month, date and day in the format used in the U.S. – a tribute to the company’s American founder.

Grande Complication (1990)

IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years”

“Mercedes-AMG and IWC have been partners for many years, and this partnership is based on the countless qualities that are shared by the worlds of motorsport and watchmaking.”

The development of high-performance cars and the multiple facets of the motor racing and haute horlogerie worlds have much in common: they both depend on high-tech materials, world-class engineering, ultimate performance and ongoing innovation. But equally important are passion, a pioneering spirit and teamwork. These are the reasons for IWC’s close involvement with the world of motorsport. Currently, the Schaffhausen watch manufacturer’s partnerships are founded on three pillars: Since 2013, IWC is the official Engineering Partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and its drivers, six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and his teammate Valtteri Bottas.

In 2017, IWC Schaffhausen founded its own motorsport team. Since then, the IWC Racing Team has been competing at selected historic racing events. The team’s car is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL „Gullwing“, one of the most iconic sports cars ever built. The car with its characteristic doors reminiscent of the wings of a seagull was manufactured by Daimler-Benz between 1954 and 1957 as a road-ready version of the 300 SL racing car. Until now, racing legends such as David Coulthard, Karl Wendlinger and Bernd Schneider have taken turns in the cockpit.

Finally, IWC Schaffhausen has a partnership with Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes’ high-performance brand producing the most powerful series models in the German car manufacturer’s range.

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The “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition.

The six-time Formula One World Champion created the distinctive timepiece together with IWC’s designers.