IWC

In 1868, American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones founded IWC in Schaffhausen. He combined Swiss craftsmanship with industrial production methods, utilizing local infrastructure powered by the Rhine. The illustration is an artistic interpretation inspired by 19th-century industry and does not depict the historic IWC factory.

In 1884, IWC began producing pocket watches with the Pallweber system. Rotating discs displayed the hours and minutes as numerals in windows on the dial—a mechanical way of displaying the time digitally. This original illustration alludes to the concept of disc-based indications; it does not depict the original mechanism.

In 1936, IWC introduced the Special Pilot’s Watch. Its legible dial and rotating bezel with an index pointer met the needs of aviators. This model began the brand's history of pilot's watches. The custom illustration evokes the atmosphere of 1930s aviation and is not a historical IWC photograph.

In 1939, the watch that began the history of the Portugieser was created. It was a response to an idea from Portuguese importers: a large wristwatch with a precise pocket watch movement. The original illustration alludes to the Portuguese coast and the nautical context of the collection.

In 1940, IWC created a large observation watch with a legible dial and clear numerals. Its functional design would later return in the Big Pilot’s Watch collection. Pictured: a much later Antoine de Saint Exupéry edition, photographed in 2009 — not the 1940 model. Photograph: Ferengi / Wikimedia Commons, “IWC Big Pilot St Exupery edition”, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), square crop.

In 1945, IWC supplied the British Army with W.W.W. watches featuring the 83 calibre. The simple dial layout and legible displays met the requirements of military use. The model is later referred to by collectors as the "Mark X," although this was not its official name. The custom illustration draws on the field equipment of the era.

In 1950, IWC introduced its own automatic movement featuring Albert Pellaton’s winding system. It utilizes the movement of the rotor in both directions to wind the mainspring. This solution became one of the brand’s technical hallmarks. The original illustration depicts the spring as an energy reservoir, not the construction of the Pellaton system.

In 1967, the Aquatimer debuted, beginning the history of IWC diving watches. The first model featured water resistance to 200 meters and an internal rotating bezel for tracking dive time. The original illustration evokes the recreational diving of that era.

In 1969, IWC introduced the Da Vinci with the Beta 21 quartz movement, developed jointly by Swiss manufacturers. The hexagonal gold case emphasizes the modern character of the design. The original illustration uses a quartz crystal as a symbol of this technology; it does not depict the resonator or the watch movement.

In 1985, IWC presented the Da Vinci with a perpetual calendar developed by Kurt Klaus. The calendar displays can be set together using the crown. Pictured: Da Vinci ref. 3750, a representative of this family. Photograph: EMore98 / Wikimedia Commons, “IWC Da Vinci cronografo calendario perpetuo, ref. 3750”, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), square crop.