This elaborate, one-of-a-kind fine watchmaking piece saw the light of day in the manufacture’s workshops thanks to an original concept proposed by an apprentice watchmaker, Loris Spitzer.

A two-toned globe, offset towards 9 o’clock, on the varnished Obsidian dial of IWC‘s Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night, completes its revolutions in 24 hours on its own axis, totally in tune with the rotations of the golden hour and minute hands. At the same time, a flying tourbillon twirls in one minute at 6 o’clock. Even though this device, imagined to limit the effects of the Earth’s gravity, flaunts some 56 components, it only weighs 0.675 grams. To optimize its running, its parts are topped with Diamond Shell^® technology. This silicon-diamond coating significantly reduces friction while improving energy transmission to the inner workings of caliber 81925. As such, this hand-wound movement delivers a comfortable power reserve of 84 hours. The existence of a sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire its baseplate decorated with circular Côtes de Genève designs. The regulating device and the stylized portrayal of Earth are also unveiled in their entirety.

This mechanical architecture reigns inside a 42.4 mm-diameter, 750/1000 Armor Gold^® case. This alloy, comprising 75% pure gold stands out from red gold through its greater hardness and resistance to wear and tear. Its warm hues, emphasized by its polished and brushed finishes, marry harmoniously with the dark black scenography. The black alligator strap fashioned in the workshops of well-known Italian footwear creator Santoni adds to this watch’s delicate, unparalleled spirit.

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The Schaffhausen-based manufacture is constantly enhancing its chromatic offering with unprecedented references in its collection made up of ever-so classy, super sporty models.

Both of IWC‘s Portugieser Chronograph pieces, one with a dial in Horizon Blue (Ref. IW371626), the other in Dune (Ref. IW371624), combined with a 41 mm case respectively crafted in white gold and in steel, are driven by the selfwinding 69355 caliber (46 hours of power reserve). The minute counter in these newcomers, nestling at 12 o’clock, creates a visual vertical axis with the small seconds. The slender direct-drive ticks over the quarter-second graduated scale running round the flange. This sporty yet delicate layout brings another proposal to life. Reference IW371625 marries an Obsidian dial with a red gold-fashioned case to breathe life into harmoniously-contrasting scenography.

A stringent process of over 60 steps is required to finalize each dial. “The brass bases are first given a sunburst finish before the respective color is applied. In the next step, 15 layers of transparent lacquer are applied, fine-ground and then polished to a high gloss. The totalizers are milled into both the brass base and the lacquer layer. The printing, carried out through a special process, further adds to the three-dimensional effect. The appliques are mounted individually by hand”, details the manufacture. The watches are worn on a calfskin strap or an alternative alligator one. Both wraparounds suit the elegant personality of the dials wonderfully well. With their signature features, the Portugieser Chronograph watches go way beyond fashion trends.

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This watch, the star of the show at Watches & Wonders 2024, defies time. Its caliber integrates a new 400-year gear and also ensures millions of years of moon-phase precision.

With its Portugieser Eternal Calendar, IWC masterfully illustrates its expertise when it comes to imagining calendars. On its elegant white-lacquered dome-shape dial, this reference displays the data of a secular perpetual calendar. The date, weekday and month are ever-so easy to read on the sapphire-crystal counters. The four-digit year is unveiled in its respective aperture set at 7:30. Inside this watch’s 52640 caliber, a groundbreaking gear, assembled using eight components, makes a full rotation once every 400 years. Thanks to this mechanism, the model takes three irregular leap years of the Gregorian calendar into account over this four-century period.

What’s more, the existence of another reduction gear train equipped with three intermediate wheels pushes back the limits of Moon phase precision. A state-of-the-art computerized simulation was used to finalize this device. This system offers the Double Moon^TM display incomparable accuracy over 45 million years for the northern and southern hemispheres.

The watch’s time data is completed by a small seconds and a power reserve indicator. The latter informs the wearer how much energy is left of the 7 days delivered by the selfwinding movement which hosts two barrels. The phenomenal Portugieser Eternal Calendar caliber reigns inside a 44.40 mm-diameter, 15 mm-high platinum case. And, to ensure this timepiece wraps gracefully around the wrist, it’s accompanied by a black alligator strap fashioned by Italian leather goods manufacturer Santoni.

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The 2023 Watches & Wonders Geneva exhibition brought its share of surprises. Among them, an eye-catching watch by IWC. In this contemporary re-edition, form and function become one.

In the 1970s, Gerald Genta was at the helm. The watch designer imposed his style, composing some of the most beautiful creations. Among the models he designed, the Ingenieur SL Reference 1832 from IWC stands out for its pure lines and its “jumbo” size of 40mm in diameter. Given its XL size for the time, it could not go unnoticed during this daring decade. Inspired by this timepiece, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 vintage 2023 recaptures its spirit. The steel case with its revisited contours and finishes remains elegantly thin with its restrained thickness of only 10.8mm. It is still topped by a bezel held by five screws. The appearance of a crown guard is worth noting. The alternating satin and polished surfaces, also used on the links of the integrated wristband with its original clasp, enhance its sporty chic look. The dial continues to feature the original checkerboard pattern. Nevertheless, this motif is given more prominence with the help of an accentuated contrast. Three different variations are on offer this year: black, silver, or aqua with shades of turquoise.

The hour and minute hands, the second hand, as well as the date at 3 o’clock are driven by the caliber 32111 built with 165 components. This self-winding movement is housed in a soft iron case making it insensitive to magnetic fields. This robust, state-of-the-art mechanism is also high-performance. It delivers an impressive power reserve of 120 hours.IWC is also offering its Ingenieur Automatic 40 in a titanium machined version coupled with a gray-tinted setting. Style and performance are once again reunited.

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It is a face tinted black as an ink night that the Schaffhausen-based manufacture has chosen to add to its collection of chronographs with a design inspired by the sky exploration.

In 1936, exactly 87 years ago, IWC unveiled a new wristwatch specially designed for passionate about the sky thanks to a marker on the dial to memorize the time of takeoff. Then in 1940, it presented the Grande Big Pilot’s Watch 52 T.S.C. whose emblematic dial was reborn in 2002 to become a must-have in the watchmaking landscape. More than two decades later, after a blue and a green versions, the Schaffhausen-based manufacture is offering a variant with a black face, equipped with displays useful in everyday life: the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41.

While its appearance is totally anchored among the clouds with its specific design inspired by flight instruments, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 is above all a versatile timepiece that adapts to the wearer’s personality thanks to its interchangeable strap in black calfskin with a pin buckle or steel five-link bracelet and folding clasp. Machined from the same metal, the 41mm diameter and approximately 14.5mm thick case houses the caliber 69385, a self-winding movement developed by IWC that delivers a 48-hour power reserve when fully wound. On the dial, which is coated in intense black, the hour circle with large Arabic numerals and hour markers frames three azure counters: the chronograph minutes and hours, respectively placed at 12 and 9 o’clock and powered by the central second hand, and the small seconds, whose hand is varnished in red, the only touch of color in this black and white ensemble. At 3 o’clock, a double window clearly displays the day and date, thus completing the essential time provided by the two large central hands.

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A touch of brilliance and timeless elegance distinguish the two new variations of the manufacturer’s grand classics with their two-tone “blue panda” dials.

Reminiscent of the seaside, the combination of white and blue transcends fashion. Not without reason! These two colors inevitably conjure up images of the warmth of summer and the decorations in family homes near the beach. It is this very combination that brings a touch of warmth to the dials of the Portugieser Automatic and Portugieser Chronograph watches by IWC. On both models, a luminous white lacquer stands in contrast to the azure blue of the counters. These two timepieces are fitted with a matching wristband, either in leather or rubber, depending on the reference.

On this arrangement known as “blue panda”, within the Portugieser Automatic model, the small seconds hand at 9 o’clock responds symmetrically to the presence of the 7-day power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock. A window at 6 o’clock serves to display the date. To create visual harmony, the hour and minute hands point to an hour circle and a minute track in the same color as the counters. The caliber 52010 built into the 42.3mm diameter steel case takes care of propelling its time information with precision. These identical features can be found on the Portugieser Chronograph. Only the vertical bicompax position is different. Time is measured by means of the second hand and the 30-minute totalizer at 12 o’clock. The self-winding movement 69355 fitted in the 41mm case, machined in the same metal as the Automatic, provides 46 hours of autonomy to the timepiece. Perfect for those sunny weekends of an Indian summer.

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The Schaffhausen-based watch company is paying tribute to its historical link with the British armed forces and in particular the famous fighter plane of the 1930s with two new timepieces.

Closely linked to the British armed forces, on land, at sea and in the air, since the end of the Second World War, IWC has taken the name of the Royal Air Force’s most famous single-seat fighter plane of the 1930s to christen a novelty with a very military spirit presented at the beginning of December and available in two variants: the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Spitfire.

Impressive not only for the size of its case, but also for its thickness of 14.4mm and its large conical fluted crown, it is also impressive for the materials used, a matte gray treated titanium and an exclusive bronze alloy containing aluminum and iron for a greatly increased resistance. This metal case has a titanium back with a Spitfire silhouette engraved on it. Inside, a soft iron container protects the automatic movement, the IWC manufacture caliber 82100, from magnetic fields. This powerful motor, clocked at the standard 4hz frequency, provides a 60-hour power reserve.

The dial is available in two colors and two configurations. One adopts the aesthetic codes of the old observation watches by displaying the military time on its black disc, i.e. a timer in the foreground with large white Arabic numerals, while the gray hours are centralized and delimited by a thin circle. The other is dressed in khaki green and features a more “traditional” dial architecture in terms of display, all of which is overlaid by alpha type hands and a second hand.

Price: 9,500 CHF (titanium) – 9,900 CHF (bronze)

By Sharmila Bertin

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The new robust and resistant material developed by the Schaffhausen factory is used on a watch designed to fly over clouds and cross time zones without suffering from jet lag.

The name Top Gun embodies the elite pilots of the US Navy, a prestigious designation that has been adopted by IWC for a collection of timepieces capable of withstanding extreme pressure. The recently unveiled Pilot’s Watch Timezoner® Top Gun Ceratanium® embodies the strength of innovation and creativity that the Schaffhausen watchmaker has to offer.

Firstly, its 46mm diameter and 15mm thick case is machined in Ceratanium®, a new material which, resulting from the marriage of titanium and ceramic, is ultra-light, robust, resistant and virtually scratchproof. High temperature agglomeration produces a beautiful matte black color. Secondly, its ceramic rotating bezel is used to set a useful complication that is appearing for the first time on a Top Gun reference: the Timezoner®. By simply pressing and then turning the ring bearing the inscription of various cities of the world, the hour hand in the center moves forward in 60-minute increments, simultaneously with the 24-hour display at 12 o’clock and the date at 3 o’clock, thus setting the second time zone.

On the dark dial, overhung by a trio of hands, the Arabic numerals are dressed in gray and three of them, at the cardinal points, are covered with luminescent material. The indication of hours, minutes and seconds, among other features, is driven by the caliber 82760, a self-winding movement clocked at 4hz and delivering 60 hours of power reserve.

Price: CHF18,000

By Sharmila Bertin

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Drawing on its strong association with the aeronautical sections of the North American army, the Schaffhausen-based watchmaker is introducing a series of three ceramic chronographs, each with an air patrol patch on its dial.

IWC’s history is strongly tied to the aviation industry. In particular with aeronautical armed forces such as the U.S. Navy, a link that the brand, which has held a license for the past three years, has nurtured by creating exclusive and robust timepieces designed for squadron members. This year, it is towards the general public that the company is unveiling a series of three U.S. Navy Chronograph Aviator Watch models. They feature air patrol patches at the base of their dials.

This trio of timepieces, whose annual production is limited to 500 per reference, each features a different unit. There are the “Royal Maces” of Strike Fighter Squadron 27 or VFA-27, stationed near Japan; the “Tophatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron 14, based in California; and the famous “Blue Angels®” acrobatic patrol. Each casing, machined in black or blue ceramic, measures 44.5mm in diameter and 12mm thick. They have a screw-down crown and push-buttons made of Ceratonium®, a light and resistant material developed by IWC. The titanium caseback is engraved with the squadron emblems: the silhouette of a Super Hornet jet for the “Royal Maces”, a top hat for the “Tophatters”, and a quartet of aircraft for the “Blue Angels®”.

Paced by the self-winding caliber 69380 at 4hz with 46 hours of power reserve, the displays appear on the dial via two large hour and minute hands in the center that point to large Arabic numerals and hour markers, a small second-hand at 6 o’clock and a double day and date window at 3 o’clock. As for the chronograph indications, the black second-hand with a colored or bright yellow tip counts down the seconds in the azure totalizers with the minutes at 12 o’clock and hours at 9 o’clock.

Price: CHF 11,900

By Sharmila Bertin

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The legendary Fliegerchronograph Keramik spreads its wings once again in an up-to-the-minute interpretation boasting a new manufacture caliber and a case crafted in Ceratanium®.

In 1994, IWC unveiled its reference 3705 in black zirconia ceramic, better known as Black Flieger. Today, this chronograph, which has since become one of the great classics created by the watchmakers from Schaffhausen, is also one of the most popular among the brand’s collectors and aficionados. To meet the latter’s expectations, the manufacture has rolled out a 1,000-piece limited edition reproducing all the assets of the timepiece. As such, the dial of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Tribute to 3705” features the time data scenography which charmed so much back in the 1990s. The totalizers set at 9 o’clock and 12 o’clock are used to read measured time. The small seconds remains at 6 o’clock and the day and date apertures at 3. Nonetheless, this series is very much in tune with the times with its 41 mm-diameter case now crafted in Ceratanium®, a light, sturdy and hard material, made from a titanium alloy.

At the very heart of this high-tech case, soft iron protects the mechanism working from magnetic fields. However, this time round, it’s not the Valjoux 7750 caliber which leads the dance of the hands and calendar display but the 69380, an in-house-made automatic movement. Its bidirectional pawl-based automatic winding system delivers 46 hours of autonomy to the watch.

To boost its monochrome personality even more, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Tribute to 3705” is complemented by a matching calfskin strap clasped by an ardillon buckle.

Price: EUR12,800

By Dan Diaconu

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Comfort, quality, practicality. Common points which set IWC and Orlebar Brown’s productions apart and which invite to be discovered in this co-signed flyback chronograph.

IWC’s Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition Orlebar Brown imagined hand-in-hand with the British leisurewear brand, blends together an elegant and sporty style with a host of summery colors. On its navy blue dial, rhodium-plated hands coated with white luminescent material hover over a minute tracker which is as alabaster-toned as the small seconds set at 6 o’clock. A 12-hour and 60-minute chronograph totalizer displayed at 12 o’clock, measures short-cycle times, escorted by the central direct-drive adorned in bright red. It’s no coincidence if these tones were chosen as they feature in most of the ready-to-wear firm’s creations.

The high-performance 89361 caliber, unveiled back in 2007, and the first to have been totally developed in the manufacture’s workshops, reigns supreme in the 44.6 mm-diameter steel case, waterproof to a depth of 60 meters. Besides its rather mighty 68-hour power reserve, this selfwinding movement boasts an hour, minute and second stop system. The chronograph is enhanced with a flyback function. And, the watch’s oscillating weight invites to be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback.

IWC’s Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition Orlebar Brown, in its element on-board a yacht or on an oceanfront terrace, is worn with a textile-incrusted azure-hued rubber strap. The strap is attached by a laterally-fixed folding clasp engraved with both brands’ names.

Price: EUR12,200

By Dan Diaconu

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The German team is yet again crowned as Formula One World Constructors’ Championship (WCC) winner. To celebrate the event, the Schaffhausen-based brand unveils two limited editions.

The 2019 Formula 1 season finished off with the unshared victory of Mercedes. IWC, the team’s partner, wished to pay tribute to this new title with two limited series of Pilot’s Watch. As such the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Editions are revealed as a chronograph and a perpetual calendar, respectively available in 50 and 10 pieces. The emerald green reigning supreme on the racing cars features on the small seconds of the first model and adorns the indexes and hands of the second. Both timepieces host a matte black zirconium oxide case and a carbon fiber dial which conjure up the materials used in the single-seaters.

The automatic 52615 caliber set in a 46.5 mm-diameter case offers a power reserve of 7 days. It drives the various elements of the perpetual calendar, the date, the day of the week, the month and the 4-digit year flawlessly over this period of time. This movement also brings life to a Moon phase display for the northern and southern hemispheres. As proof of accuracy, no adjustment needs to be made before 2100.

The 44.5 mm-diameter chronograph case embraces the self-winding 89361 movement (68 hours of autonomy). It drives the chronograph’s short-cycle time measurements. Equipped with a flyback function, it allows you to start timing a session instantly. This device also includes a stop hour and minute feature displayed on a sub-dial at 12 o’clock. To tackle the effects of magnetic fields, a soft-iron inner case protects the caliber optimally.

Price: EUR16,600 (chronograph)

By Dan Diaconu

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The pilot’s watch issued as a limited edition reflects the personality of Lewis Hamilton, the brand’s ambassador, with a highly-precise spirit and an incredibly-unique style.

His already rather impressive track record continues to grow. Six-time Formula 1 World Champion, legendary record-holder for the most pole positions in qualifying rounds, top of the 2019 Championship rankings… Lewis Hamilton’s performances set the ultimate standard, placing him at the top of the motor sports’ elite. Although his dexterity behind the wheel is definitely not a matter of debate, the British racing driver also appears to have personal chemistry with the world of fashion and design. As such, IWC invited him to design a timepiece in line with his wishes and his style. The result is the Lewis Hamilton Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition, a bespoke benchmark with practical features geared to precision. An ample 46.5 mm-diameter case fashioned in black zirconium oxide ceramic hosting a red-gold caseback protects a wine-colored dial. Face-side, in addition to the large hour and minute hands, the watch displays the date, the day of the week, the month and a 4-digit year and invites to discover the Moon’s phases for both hemispheres.

All time data is driven by the 52615 caliber. This automatic movement grants the watch a great power reserve, once totally wound up, of some 168 hours, i.e. 7 days, thanks to the inclusion of two barrels. The power remaining features in an indicator set at 3 o’clock. This mechanism is also equipped with a small-second stop system to set the time precisely.

This 100-piece limited edition is complemented by a matching Bordeaux textile strap.

Price on request

By Dan Diaconu

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The Schaffhausen watchmaker has teamed up with the US Navy’s aerobatic patrol, the “Blue Angels®,” to design a new chronograph with a return-in-flight function inspired by military observation watches

Between the watch brand IWC and primarily military aviation, is a long, beautiful story which today translates into obtaining a new license but above all into the creation of a new timepiece, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph “Blue Angels®” Edition named after the North American Navy’s acrobatic patrol founded after the Second World War in 1946.

This chronograph with the return-in-flight function is “physically” inspired by the observation watches used by the army, as shown by the indication of the so-called military time on a yellow circle placed in the center of the sunray blue dial and the precise timer with its Arabic numerals and triangular mark painted in white placed towards the top. All hands, large and small, have the same sword-like silhouette, blackened and coated with white luminescent material. In the center, the second hand gates the chronograph seconds while the minutes and hours are totaled in a global counter at 12 o’clock symmetrical to the small second, which is logically at 6 o’clock. At 3 o’clock, a window shows the yellow date on a blue background.

The black ceramic case of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph “Blue Angels®” Edition has a diameter of 44.5mm and thickness of 15.7mm and houses the caliber 89361, a self-winding mechanical movement that vibrates at the standard frequency of 4hz and provides 68 hours of power reserve.

This IWC is completed by a blue calfskin leather strap matching the dial.

Price: 11,900 CHF

By Sharmila Bertin

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