IWC
Classic Pilot Watches
Unmistakeable
originals of chronometry are the undisputed specialty of
the IWC Schaffhausen watch factory in Schaffhausen, in north-east
Switzerland: the famous "Da Vinci", with its perpetual
calendar, is one such. These naturally included the first "Grande
Complication" for the wrist, but also the super-antimagnetic "Ingenieur" and
the diver's watches, which are capable of withstanding water
pressure even down to a depth of 2000 metres - and the only
diver's watches with a mechanical depth gauge. From IWC come
the professional "Pilot's watches". Equally unsurpassed
are the exquisite pocket watches, which have been built at
IWC since the year of its foundation in 1868.
It was
no accident that an American engineer from Boston, Florentine
Ariosto Jones, established the "International Watch
Co." in Schaffhausen of all places in the year 1868.
The factory on the Rhine - situated far from the watchmaking
centres of West Switzerland - is indebted to this American
for its name and its existence. There he found a newly constructed
hydroelectric power station for his machines. Ideal conditions
for his passion to build perfect mechanical movements for
an international market. He also found watchmakers whose
profession already had a long tradition in Schaffhausen.
The State Archives in Schaffhausen include an entry dated
29 January 1583 relating to the Guild of Pyrotechnicians,
Gunsmiths, Watchmakers and Hoistmakers to the City Council.
This proves that the watchmaker's trade must already have
existed in Schaffhausen at the time. In fact, the beginnings
of the Schaffhausen watchmakers' art can be traced even further,
as far back as the year 1409, when a monk from the neighbouring
monastery in Rheinau built the striking clock of St. Johann's
church.
Originals
of chronometry appeared soon after the company was established,
for example in 1885 the Pallweber system pocket watch with
its digital display, today a sought-after collector's item.
At the end of the 19th century, IWC was one of the first
watch manufacturers to recognize the potential of the new
and increasingly fashionable wristwatch, for which it developed
entirely new movements. It also continued to build original
pocket watch movements into wristwatches when the market
in the thirties demanded large, extremely accurate wristwatches.
This is how the Portuguese line came into being - a trendsetting
wristwatch in a "king-sized" format until today.
IWC was
involved when watches had to learn to fly with the pioneers
of aviation and today offers a comprehensive range of professional
pilot's watches, which are fitted with special protection
against magnetic fields. And in the fifties the company not
only led the competition in the race to introduce the first
automatic movements, but also developed, in the so-called
Pellaton winding mechanism, an unsurpassed winding system
that it still uses exclusively today in its large automatic
factory movements.
Unmistakeable
originals of chronometry are the undisputed specialty of
the IWC Schaffhausen watch factory in Schaffhausen, in north-east
Switzerland: the famous "Da Vinci", with its perpetual
calendar, is one such. These naturally included the first "Grande
Complication" for the wrist, but also the super-antimagnetic "Ingenieur" and
the divers watches, which are capable of withstanding water
pressure even down to a depth of 2000 metres - and the only
divers watches with a mechanical depth gauge. From IWC come
the professional "Pilots watches". Equally unsurpassed
are the exquisite pocket watches, which have been built at
IWC since the year of its foundation in 1868.
It was
no accident that an American engineer from Boston, Florentine
Ariosto Jones, established the "International Watch
Co." in Schaffhausen of all places in the year 1868.
The factory on the Rhine - situated far from the watchmaking
centres of West Switzerland - is indebted to this American
for its name and its existence. There he found a newly constructed
hydroelectric power station for his machines. Ideal conditions
for his passion to build perfect mechanical movements for
an international market. He also found watchmakers whose
profession already had a long tradition in Schaffhausen.
The State Archives in Schaffhausen include an entry dated
29 January 1583 relating to the Guild of Pyrotechnicians,
Gunsmiths, Watchmakers and Hoistmakers to the City Council.
This proves that the watchmakers trade must already have
existed in Schaffhausen at the time. In fact, the beginnings
of the Schaffhausen watchmakers art can be traced even further,
as far back as the year 1409, when a monk from the neighbouring
monastery in Rheinau built the striking clock of St. Johanns
church.
Originals of chronometry
appeared soon after the company was established, for example in 1885 the
Pallweber system pocket watch with its digital display, today a sought-after
collectors item. At the end of the 19th century, IWC was one of the first
watch manufacturers to recognize the potential of the new and increasingly
fashionable wristwatch, for which it developed entirely new movements. It
also continued to build original pocket watch movements into wristwatches
when the market in the thirties demanded large, extremely accurate wristwatches.
This is how the Portuguese line came into being - a trendsetting wristwatch
in a "king-sized" format until today.
IWC was involved when
watches had to learn to fly with the pioneers of aviation and today offers
a comprehensive range of professional pilots watches, which are fitted with
special protection against magnetic fields. And in the fifties the company
not only led the competition in the race to introduce the first automatic
movements, but also developed, in the so-called Pellaton winding mechanism,
an unsurpassed winding system that it still uses exclusively today in its
large automatic factory movements.
The special position of
IWC is rooted not only in history, but also in geography. It remains the
only watch factory in East Switzerland to this day. It is precisely for this
reason that the factory regards the need to ensure a qualified succession
in the manufacture of mechanical watches as both a commitment and a passion.
Apprentice training leading to the Federal Final Diploma as Horloger complet
has been the performance standard at IWC since 1950. This led us to set up
our own training centre in 1968 with capacity for 15 Apprentices and two
advanced training places. New training legislation came into effect in 2001,
which offers budding watchmakers more flexible opportunities.
In the severe turbulence
in the Swiss watch industry at the end of the seventies under its inspired
manager, Gunter Blumlein, this is the period in Schaffhausen when the points
were set - contrary to the electronic spirit of the time - to take the company
onto the track of mechanical watches, innovation and technically exacting
mens watches. And from this conception of ourselves there grew the eye-catching
advertising message: "IWC. Since 1868. And for as long as there are
men." Because mens watches have also been a subject of interest to women
for a long time.
The craft perfection,
the training of its specialists, the renunciation of mass-market products:
all of these are in keeping with the old-established principle of IWC. To
make watches for small numbers of people, but watches of the highest quality.
That is also the reason why, if carefully maintained, our watches last for
decades. And why today they are rare items, which fetch collectors prices
throughout the world.
Leading impulses for the
mechanical watch come from IWC. With its 390 employees, the company manufactures
these sought-after pieces. Since the year 2000 IWC has belonged to the watch
division of Richemont SA.
