IWC Schaffhausen

IWC International Watch Co. AG, founded as the International Watch Company and trading as IWC Schaffhausen, is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Originally founded in Switzerland by American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones in 1868, the company was transferred to the Rauschenbach family in 1880 after bankruptcy and has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Richemont Group since 2000. IWC is best known for its luxury pilot/aviation watches, material competence such as the pioneering use of ceramic and titanium in watchmaking, its chronographs, Gérald Genta's design of the Ingenieur Ref. 1832, and Kurt Klaus’ user-friendly perpetual calendar.. In 2018, IWC was recognized by the WWF for its environmental efforts and received an "Ambitious" rating, placing first amongst fifteen other Swiss watchmakers. The luxury watch manufacturer won the Aiguille d’Or at the 2024 GPHG for the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, recognized as the overall best watch of the year for its groundbreaking secular perpetual calendar that accounts for Gregorian calendar exceptions, and its Double Moon™ display, accurate to one day in over 45 million years. History Foundation (1868) In 1868, American engineer and watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones (1841–1916), who had been a director of E. Howard & Co. in Boston, founded the International Watch Company in Switzerland. He planned to assemble watches in Switzerland and import them into the United States. At the time, wages in Switzerland were relatively low and there was a ready supply of skilled watchmaking labor, mainly carried out by people in their homes. Jones encountered opposition to his plans in French-speaking Switzerland because he wanted to open a factory. In 1850, the town of Schaffhausen was in danger of being left behind in the Industrial Age. At this stage, watch manufacturer and industrialist Heinrich Moser built Schaffhausen's first hydroelectric plant and aided in further industrialization. Moser met Jones in Le Locle and showed great interest in his plans. Together, they laid the foundations for the only watch manufacturers in north-eastern Switzerland. Early stages (1869-1875) In 1869, Jones rented the first factory premises in an industrial building owned by J.H. Moser at the Rheinstrasse. Having to rent further rooms in the Oberhaus. By 1874, plans were already being made for a new factory, and a site was purchased from Moser's hydroelectric company. Schaffhausen architect G. Meyer won the order to design and build the factory. A year later, in the spring of 1875, the construction work was completed. At first, 196 people worked in the 45 meter long factory, which could accommodate up to 300 workplaces. However, Jones had trouble selling the watches in America due to tariffs, financing, and technical machine problems. By 1875, stockholders alleged that the company was on the verge of collapse, and Jones scrambled to find new investors. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy, and Jones was forced to relinquish control of the company. IWC and the Rauschenbach family (1880) One of IWC's stockholders, Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel, Chief Executive Officer and a machine manufacturer from Schaffhausen, took over the Internationale Uhrenfabrik on 17 February 1880. He purchased the company for 280,000 francs. Four generations of the Rauschenbach family owned IWC, with varying names. Only a year after the sale, Johannes Rauschenbach died. His son, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk, aged 25, took over the Uhrenfabrik von J. Rauschenbach and ran it successfully until his own death on 2 March 1905. Urs Haenggi from Nunningen in the canton of Solothurn had gotten to know the watch business in French-speaking Switzerland and France. In 1883, he joined IWC and stayed with the company for 52 years. He was responsible for getting factory operations up and running smoothly and acquiring new customers. He was also responsible for warding off the prospect of outside interests acquiring IWC "in the interest of the noble Rauschenbach family". After the death of J. Rauschenbach-Schenk in 1905, his wife, two daughters, Bertha Marguerite Rauschenbach and Emma Rauschenbach (later Jung), and their husbands, Ernst Jakob Homberger (director of G. Fischer AG in Schaffhausen) and Carl Gustav Jung, took over the watch factory as an open trading company named as the Uhrenfabrik von J. Rauschenbach's Erben - watch manufacturer of the heirs of J. Rauschenbach. E.J. Homberger was the only authorized signatory, Haenggi and Vogel were directors. Following the death of his father-in-law, Ernst Jakob Homberger had a considerable influence on the Schaffhausen watchmaking company's affairs and guided it through one of the most turbulent epochs in Europe's history. Just before the world economic crisis, he took over as sole proprietor and renamed the company Uhrenfabrik von Ernst Homberger-Rauschenbach, formerly International Watch Co. His contribution was honoured in 1952, when he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of St. Gallen. He died in 1955, aged 85 years. Hans Homberger was the third and last of the Rauschenbach heirs to run the factory as a sole proprietor. He had joined his father's company in 1934 and took control after his death in April 1955. In 1957 he added a new wing to the factory and in the same year set up a modern pension fund for the staff. He bought new machines to meet new demands and continuously brought his production technology up to what were considered the latest standards. He died in 1986 at the age of 77. Prominent technicians Technician Johann Vogel from Wangen an der Aare in Solothurn played an important role as technical director. He designed and developed IWC calibers until 1919. In 1885, IWC manufactured the first digital watch based on a patent granted to an Austrian by the name of Pallweber. It was a simple design, but was unable to replace the traditional analogue display. Electrical era In 1888, electricity began to take over at the watch factory. J. Rauschenbach had a powerline installed which supplied it with electricity. Shortly before the turn of the century, the company started converting its production machines to electricity. An electric motor made by Brown Boveri from Baden powered the engines in the factory. These were later replaced during the 1930s with individually powered machines. 1900–1969 During the period just before and after the First World War, E.J. Homberger established many social institutions. He extended the living quarters for factory employees and established a fund for widows and orphans. In 1929, the name of the fund was changed to the J. Rauschenbach Foundation and in 1949 he founded the Watch Company Welfare Foundation. Germany's military buildup of the 1930s brought the demand for precision watches back to Glashütte. From the second half of the thirties to the end of World War II, IWC was one of five watch manufacturers (the others being Stowa, Laco, Wempe and A. Lange & Söhne) that built B-Uhren for Germany's air force (Luftwaffe). IWC's historical significance is marked by several pioneering timepieces, including the 1936 Special Pilot's Watch (Ref. 436), which laid the groundwork for its renowned aviation collection, and the 1939 Portugieser (Ref. 325), notable for its large size and pocket watch movement. This legacy was further solidified by the 1940 Big Pilot's Watch (Ref. 52 T.S.C.), a robust observation watch for military pilots, and the highly influential 1948 Mark 11, which set a new standard for precision and anti-magnetic protection in pilot's watches. On 1 April 1944, Schaffhausen was bombed by the United States Army Air Forces. The watch factory was hit by a bomb which failed to detonate after crashing through the rafters. The flames from incendiaries exploding nearby penetrated the building through the broken windows but were extinguished by the company's own fire brigade. After World War II, IWC was forced to change its focus. All of Eastern Europe had fallen under the Iron Curtain, and the economy of Germany was in shambles. As a result, old contacts and connections with other countries in Europe and the Americas as well as Australia and the Far East were revived and intensified or established. In the mid century, IWC rolled out its famed Caliber 89 movement. This mechanically wound movement powered IWC models from the 1940s until the early 1990s. It was developed by Albert Pellaton in 1946. Known for its robustness and accuracy, this hand-wound movement was notably first put into production with the iconic Mark 11 pilot's watch in 1948. The movement measured 27.1 mm and featured a center-seconds hand, 17 jewels, overcoil balance spring, and the option of hacking seconds. It beat at a frequency of 2.5 Hz /18,000 vph. IWC's commitment to innovation was further exemplified by the introduction of the Pellaton winding system in 1950, a highly efficient and robust automatic winding mechanism that became a hallmark of their movements. This period also saw the launch of the first Ingenieur (Ref. 666) in 1955, a timepiece designed for professionals, featuring exceptional anti-magnetic protection and a robust, functional aesthetic. 1970–1999 In the 1970s and 80s, due to the quartz crisis, the Swiss watchmaking industry underwent a phase of far-reaching technological change. The era saw the first use of miniaturized electric batteries as a source of energy for wristwatches and some eventually unsuccessful technologies, such as the electronically controlled balance. The Uhrenfabrik H. E. Homberger co-founded and was a shareholder in the Centre Électronique Horloger (CEH) in Neuchâtel and was financially involved in the development of the Beta 21 quartz wristwatch movement, which was first presented to the public at the 1969 Industrial Fair in Basel and used by other manufactures such as the Omega Electroquartz watches. In value terms, this movement accounted for about 5-6% of total sales of quartz watches. Parallel to this, the company expanded its collection of jeweller watches to include ladies watches with mechanical movements. 1973 was IWC's most successful year of the post-war period. Gerald Genta's Ingenieur SL Ref. 1832, introduced in 1976, marked a significant design evolution for the Ingenieur line, transforming it into a luxury sports watch with its distinctive integrated bracelet and bezel design. A rise in gold prices in 1974 had grave consequences for the watch-exporting industry. Between 1970 and 1974, the price of gold rose from 4,850 to 18,000 francs and the value of the US dollar against the Swiss currency fell by up to 40%. As a result, the price of watch exports rose by as much as 250%. A change of direction was necessary, and this led to the adoption of a number of measures. In order to survive, IWC, under the leadership of Directors Otto Heller and Hannes Pantli, built up a line of pocket watches and, apart from setting up its own modern wristwatch and case manufacturing facilities, began working closely with Ferdinand A. Porsche as an external designer. In addition, IWC pioneered new watchmaking technologies, notably the first titanium bracelets, developed in 1980, in Porsche Design watches, such as the Chronograph Nr. 1 and the Ocean 2000, launched in 1982. For its new plans, IWC required a high level of venture capital. With the help of the Swiss Bank Corporation, the company was put in contact with VDO Adolf Schindling AG, which took a majority interest in IWC in 1978. At the same time, IWC reacquired the name it had originally been given by its founder F.A. Jones (International Watch Co. AG). In 1981, the new director, Günter Blümlein, pushed for rapid implementation of planned changes, put the existing advertising campaign to work, built up the customer base and solidified IWC's finances. In 1985, IWC then Director Günter Blümlein asked Kurt Klaus to create a Grande Complication watch to be worn on a wrist, as existing iterations on the market are all much larger sized Pocket Watch. In 1986, Manufacture d'Horlogerie Renaud et Papi SA's founders Dominic Renaud and Giulio Papi assisted the design of the repeater function of the movement, before their take over by Audemars Piguet in 1992. In 1986, the Ref. 3750 base model was released in various colored ceramic versions, including black, white, and a rare turquoise prototype. These specific models are designated as Ref. 3755. The IWC ref.3770 launched in 1990 was the first wristwatch-sized Grande Complication that housed a Chronograph, a Minute Repeater and a Perpetual Calendar functions. In 1991, IWC director Günter Blümlein founded the LMH Group with its headquarters in Schaffhausen. With a 100% stake in IWC, 60% in Jaeger-LeCoultre (the other 40% was owned by Audemars Piguet), and 90% in the Saxony-based watchmaking company of A. Lange & Söhne. The Group employed some 1,440 persons. The 1993 Destriero Scafusia featured a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, tourbillon, and split-seconds chronograph. 2000-present In July 2000, LMH was acquired by Richemont for CHF 2.8 billion. Despite the takeover by Richemont, IWC was guaranteed that it would continue to be managed by the same executives from the LMH Group. In 2001, IWC went online with the Collectors Forum. The year 2000 saw the introduction of Calibre 5000, a new automatic movement known for its seven-day power reserve. In 2002, the Big Pilot's Watch received a significant re-interpretation, bringing back its distinctive large case and clear dial. This was followed in 2003 by the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5021, which showcased a highly sophisticated perpetual calendar mechanism within the elegant Portugieser collection. In 2011, IWC released its other Grande Complication watch, Sidérale Scafusia, taking 10 years to develop. The watch has a Celestial Chart with sunrise and sunset indications customized for each customer based on their individual locations. The year 2015 marked the introduction of the 52000 calibre family, a new generation of robust and highly efficient in-house movements. In 2018, IWC opened its state-of-the-art Manufakturzentrum, consolidating various production processes under one roof and showcasing advanced manufacturing capabilities. This was followed in 2017 by the introduction of Ceratanium, an innovative material developed by IWC that combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with the hardness and scratch-resistance of ceramic, offering a unique matte black finish and exceptional durability. In 2021, IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr used a PORTL device to appear at the Watches & Wonders fair in Shanghai. In 2023, IWC launched the Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 4 colors. This newly engineered automatic models follow the bold aesthetic codes of Gérald Genta's Ingenieur from the 1970s while meeting the highest standards regarding ergonomics, finishing, and technology. The Portugieser Eternal Calendar, introduced in 2024, quickly garnered acclaim, earning the prestigious Aiguille d’Or at the 2024 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, recognizing it as the overall best watch of the year. The timepiece also achieved a Guinness World Record for being the most precise lunar phase wristwatch with an extraordinary accuracy. Its moon phase display will only deviate by one day after 45 million years, showcasing astronomical precision and the brand's engineering expertise. This accuracy is achieved through an innovative reduction gear. Official Seal - Probus Scafusia IWC's motto is Probus Scafusia, a Latin phrase meaning "good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen". The motto was established in 1903. Manufacture Movements - Milestones IWC In-House Automatic and Chronograph Movements How they work An automatic movement utilizes an oscillating weight that rotates with arm movement, winding the mainspring. IWC automatic movements are distinguished by the Pellaton winding system, a highly efficient mechanism that winds the mainspring in both directions of rotor movement, using high-tech ceramic components for virtually wear-free operation. Overview Caliber Families 50000 and 52000 - Automatic IWC's 50000-caliber family features highly efficient movements with a particularly long 7-day power reserve (1,960 rotor revolutions). They utilize the bidirectional Pellaton pawl-winding system, a spring-mounted rotor, and a Breguet spring balance for precision, often in complex complications. The refined Caliber 52000 optimizes this Pellaton system with two barrels for its 7-day power reserve. Its automatic winding is virtually wear-free due to high-tech ceramic pawls and rotor bearing. Precision comes from an indexless 4 Hz (28,800 bph) balance and Breguet spring, while design enhancements include a slimmer rotor with a “Probus Scafusia” gold medallion. These two caliber families are featured in timepieces such as the Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701), Portugieser Perpetual Calendars (Ref. IW5037 and IW5033), Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar (Ref. IW5036), Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref. IW5030), or Big Pilot's Watch (Ref. IW5010). Caliber Family 89000 - Chronograph IWC's 89000-caliber family showcases significant in-house chronograph innovation. The 89360, introduced in 2007, was the brand's first manufacture chronograph that was completely developed in Schaffhausen. It features a combined hours and minutes totalizer at 12 o’clock for intuitive stop time reading. The 89365 variant adds stop minutes/seconds and a flyback function. Further developments expanded the family to include the 89800 with a big digital date and month display, the 89630 with a perpetual calendar, and the 89900, which incorporates a tourbillon with a stop mechanism for precise adjustment. Timepieces powered by this caliber include the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph (Ref. IW3940) and Pilot's Watch Chronograph Perpetual Calendar (Ref. IW3888). Caliber Family 32000 - Automatic The IWC 32000-caliber family comprises rugged and reliable in-house automatic movements. These feature silicon components for the escape wheel and pallet lever, ensuring exceptional wear resistance. A bidirectional pawl-winding system, similar to the Pellaton, efficiently supplies energy. Thanks to technological advances and new lubricants, these movements offer a 72-120 hour power reserve and extended service life. Caliber 32000 is featured in watches such as the Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW3289), Portofino Complete Calendar (Ref. IW4586), Pilot's Watch Automatic 41 TOP GUN (Ref. IW3281), Pilot's Watch Mark XX (Ref. IW3283), and Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 (Ref. IW6596). Caliber Family 69000 – Chronograph The IWC 69000-caliber family provides precise, robust, and high-performance chronograph movements, featuring a classic column-wheel chronograph design and a Pellato-like bidirectional pawl-winding system. Three subdials display hours (9 o’clock), minutes (12 o’clock), and small seconds (6 o’clock). Operating at 4 hertz (28’800 bph), they offer a 46-hour power reserve. This caliber powers the Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW3881 and IW3894), Pilot's Watch Chronograph (Ref. IW3780), Portugieser Chronograph (Ref. IW3716), and Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref. IW3891). Caliber Family 82000 – Automatic Caliber 82000, a high-quality automatic movement, features an efficient bidirectional Pellaton winding system. High-tech ceramic components ensure wear-free operation. It provides a 60-hour power reserve and high precision from an indexless 4Hy balance. A skeletonized rotor reveals the decorated movement. Timepieces include the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 (Ref. IW3449), Portugieser Automatic 40 (Ref. IW3584), Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 (Ref. IW3442), Ingenieur Automatic 42 (Ref. IW3389), and Pilot's Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium (Ref. IW3955). IWC In-House Hand-Wound Movements How they work A hand-wound movement, often considered a wrist pocket watch, is powered by manually turning the crown. This action winds the mainspring, which then continuously supplies energy to the watch's wheel train. IWC has a long tradition of in-house hand-wound movements, such as the 59000-caliber family (e.g., Portofino and Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Day), designed for weekly winding. Extended power reserves are achieved through large barrels and long mainsprings, with design choices focused on maximizing energy storage. Overview Caliber Family 98000 IWC's hand-wound caliber 98000, originating in the mid-1930s, is closely linked to the Portugieser family. Regularly improved, it features innovations like shock-resistance (9828) and combines traditional F.A. Jones arrow adjustment with modern shock-absorption (98290). The 98000-caliber family also powers minute repeaters and tourbillons. Caliber Family 94000 The hand-wound 94000-caliber family utilizes two barrels to power diverse complications. The 94800 drives constant-force tourbillons, moon phase, and power reserve displays. The 94900 power the Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia's astronomical module. The 94200's second barrel drives the digital Pallweber display for hours and minutes. Featured in timepieces like the Big Pilot's Watch Constant Force Tourbillon (Ref. IW5905), and Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia (Ref. IW504101). Caliber Family 59000 IWC's large, precise, hand-wound 59000-caliber family movements feature an 8-day power reserve, with an extra day ensuring constant driving torque and precision. A mechanical stop prevents inaccuracy from reduced torque, allowing for weekly winding. An indexless 4Ha balance and traditional Breguet spring contribute to exceptional accuracy. IWC Manufacture Movements Early History (1868-1940s) Beginning in 1870, the first movements manufactured at IWC bore the name of founder, Florentine Ariosto Jones. All IWC Jones Calibers featured a three-quarter plate and a very long, finely adjustable regulator index. Two pocket watch calibers stand out in IWC's early history. Introduced in 1888, Caliber 52, a Lépine movement, was developed for open pocket watches, featuring small seconds opposite the crown and known for its robustness and accuracy. Caliber 53, introduced around 1890, was a Savonette movement used in hunter-case pocket watches, featuring small seconds at a right angle to the crown. In 1936, IWC launched its first aviator watch, the “Spezialuhr für Flieger” (Ref. IW436). Powered by the hand-wound Caliber 83 with an antimagnetic escapement, it withstood temperature fluctuations from minus 40 to plus 40 degrees Celsius. The IWC Caliber 74, a historically significant, 74-17''' H4 finger-bridge hand-wound pocket watch movement introduced in 1913, was remarkably flat (4.20 mm high) and known for its precision. It became most famous in 1939 when IWC used it to power their first oversized Portugieser (Reference 325), an unusually large 41.5mm wristwatch that founded one of IWC's most iconic watch families. Responding to the demand for flatter watches, the Savonette Caliber 98 was developed, with its Lépine counterpart, Caliber 97, emerging in the mid-1930s. Caliber 98 was first launched in the second version of the Portugieser Ref. 325, which was sold on August 4, 1944. In the 1940s, Caliber 52 served as a basis for IWC's first observation watch, the Big Pilot's Watch Caliber 52 T.S.C. (Ref. IW431) featuring a central seconds hand. Measuring 55 millimeters in diameter and weighing 183 grams, this became the manufacturer's largest wristwatch to date and inspired the now-famous Big Pilot's Watch line. The W.W.W. (watch, wrist, waterproof), produced for the British Army between 1944 and 1945, utilized the proven hand-wound Caliber 83, featuring a black dial with luminous numerals and a ‘chemin de fer’ minute track. The legendary navigator's wrist watch, Mark 11, of 1948, a highly precise tool watch for the Royal Air Force, incorporated a soft-iron inner case for magnetic protection and the new Caliber 89 with hacking seconds, developed by Albert Pellaton. Watch manufacturing Production records The company began keeping detailed records for each watch that has left the factory since 1885. Since 1885, details of the caliber, materials used and cases have been entered into the records. In the case of later models, these also include the reference number, delivery date and the name of the authorized dealer. For a small fee, the owner can obtain precise information about their watch, as long as the watch is at least ten years old. The company claims that its service department has the parts and is capable of repairing and maintaining watches from every era since IWC's foundation in 1868. Environmental rating In December 2018, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released an official report giving environmental ratings for 15 major watch manufacturers and jewelers in Switzerland. IWC received a high rating as "Ambitious" and was ranked No. 1 among the 15 manufacturers. Being the only manufacturer examined to receive this rating. IWC was reported to have shown a "serious commitment towards a sustainable transformation, but with substantial potential for improvement". Since early 2000s, IWC has been actively engaged in environmental protection and sustainable development. In 2018, IWC published a sustainability report based on the global best-practice standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In jewelry and watchmaking industry, there are general concerns over the lack of transparency in manufacturing activities and the sourcing of precious raw materials such as gold, which is a major cause of environmental issues such as pollution, soil degradation and deforestation. The situation is especially serious in the developing countries which are top producers of gold, including China, Russia and South Africa. It is estimated that the watch and jewelry sector uses over 50% of world's annual gold production (over 2,000 tons), but in most cases the watch companies are not able to or are unwilling to demonstrate where their raw materials come from and if the material suppliers use eco-friendly sourcing technologies. Charity auctions Since 1997, IWC has been offering special edition "Le Petit Prince" and "Antoine de Saint-Exupéry" watches for online auction to support the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation. The proceeds help disadvantaged young people around the world realize their dreams through educational and cultural projects. IWC also has long-standing partnerships with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation since its inception in 2005. Once a year during the Laureus Charity Night in Zurich, one Laureus-themed watch donated by IWC is auctioned with proceeds directly benefiting the foundation's work in using sport to end violence, discrimination, and disadvantage for children and young people. In 2025, IWC auctioned one of a limited edition of 100 pieces of the Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, worn by Toto Wolff at the Singapore Grand Prix™. See also List of watch manufacturers References External links Official website History of the IWC Portuguese