IWC Watch Review: A Swiss Watch Brand with 150 Years of Watchmaking Across Six Major Series

IWC, whose English name is IWC, is a first-class watch; a Swiss watch brand founded in 1868, it has a history of watchmaking for more than 150 years. According to a popular classification standard, its watches are obviously not too cheap, with entry-level watches costing around 30,000.

IWC currently has six major series, namely pilot series watches, Portuguese series watches, Portofino series watches, Da Vinci series watches, Ingenieur series watches, marine timepiece series watches, and an anniversary series.

IWC currently has ten series of movements, namely the 32000 movement series (used on Spitfire pilots), the 50000 movement series (used on the Portuguese Tourbillon), the 52000 movement series (used on the pilot's Little Prince), the 59000 movement series (used on the Portuguese 150th Anniversary Special Edition), and the 69000 movement series (used on industrial machinery). Engineer chronograph watch), 80000 movement series, 82000 movement series (used on the Da Vinci 150th Anniversary Special Edition), 89000 movement series (used on the Aquatimer Darwin Special Edition), 94000 movement series (used on the Portuguese Tourbillon 150th Anniversary Special Edition), 98000 movement series (used on the Portuguese Minute Repeater).

Explore All Nations (IWC)

In Eight Things You Didn’t Know, the IWC archives will be mined to learn some historical and contemporary tips to gain a deeper understanding of what takes the brand where it is.
​
American connection

Among the many interesting people at IWC, many don’t realize that the brand’s invention was American. Florentine Ariosto Jones, a watchmaker from Boston, founded the World Watch Company in 1868. Its purpose was to combine the quality and skills of Swiss watchmaking with the industrialized manufacturing processes already used in the United States. By 1880, Jones's business was acquired by Schaffhausen-based engine manufacturer Johannes Rauschenbach-Vogel, who quickly moved closer to the brand's transatlantic business.

black watch

Many watch brands have watches with black cases, as PVD and DLC treatments have been popular in the watch industry for decades (and even longer). Rather than follow traditional practices in recent years, IWC has used an interesting and fairly durable thin rubber coating on a handful of limited-edition Aquatimer models that offers the same matte black look as the DLC. As a rule of thumb, the shelf life of this coating is at least similar to PVD and DLC, if not better, while giving the case a unique touch. As with any treatment, the right sharp chisel will break down the coating and expose the steel underneath, although these Aquatimers are certainly qualified for tooling work.

aquatic life

Generally, when people think of the Cousteau series and diving watches, Doxa is the first brand that comes to mind, but IWC can trace its roots back to 2004 and has a close cooperation with the Cousteau Society. A portion of the proceeds will be used to support the community, as well as earmarked funds for special projects. Among other things, IWC is a major supporter of the efforts of the association’s innovative research vessel, Calypso, on which Cousteau conducted underwater research for more than 40 years.

Other Genta Icons

Gerald Genta is of course best known for his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, although the design icon of the watch industry was involved in many other creations in the 1970s and beyond, including a redesign of the IWC Ingenieur, launched in 1976. Hints include the exposed bezel fixing screws and the integrated bracelet, and even the H-link bracelet is at least reminiscent of the Nautilus he designed for Patek Philippe two years ago. It's a shame that the engineer never saw one with the same cachet as some of Genta's other creations, although in trade it offers a more approachable way to own a piece of watchmaking history.

Change split second game

Although the second-hand chronograph has been around for a long time, for the longest time it has remained a more exclusive and valuable product offered by the masters of fine watchmaking. Thanks to Richard Habring's vision, IWC began to change this and created the Doppelchrono Reference3711. Based on the main movement Valjoux 7750, Habring's second-hand chronograph simplifies complex mechanical equipment that has proven to be more durable and reliable than any other watch. To this day, it remains surprisingly accessible as a steel-cased version, with prices in the $5,000-$6,000 range on the used market.

Other watchmaking legends

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, you might be surprised to find that messy watchmaking was favored at IWC. If you skim the list of patents owned by the brand, you'll see the likes of Kurt Klaus, Richard Habring and, of course, the dynamic duo of Dominique Renaud and Giulio Papi. In this era, IWC has brought great benefits to collectors and enthusiasts, even if they encounter huge clutter problems, and their beloved Dolphin Chrono mentioned above.

Advancing Advertising-The Age of Macho Manhood

In the early 2000s, IWC decided to launch a playful marketing campaign centered around the slogan “For Men, For Men.” Similar to some of Porsche's avant-garde ads, which state: "Honestly, did you let your youth dream of one day owning a Nissan or Mitsubishi?", the IWC goes by "almost as messy as a truck for women. Except on time" and "often seen on a flight attendant's nightstand." While they caused quite a stir, it was the boundaries that pushed then-CEO George Kern, and the beloved brand's influence continues to grow to this day.

Watch in bronze

As with bronze watches in recent years, the IWC Aquatimer Automatic Edition "Forum Collector's Watch" seems to have received less attention than other bronze watches such as the Zenith Type 20 or the Oris Carl Brashear. The matte black dial and matching gold-plated hour markers and Aquatimer hands give the watch a completely different look from the rest of the series, and the watch is produced in a limited edition of 250 pieces.

Clarification:

My purpose is to let us have a better understanding of all nations through these short stories. Some people say that "businessmen go to Rolex, technicians wear Wanguo" which is enough to prove its excellence.