111 articles · 2 videos found · page 2 of 4
Monochrome
IWC Schaffhausen continues to expand the modern Ingenieur line by once again pairing the 1970s Gérald Genta-inspired integrated case and bracelet with the crown-operated perpetual calendar developed by Kurt Klaus in the early 1980s. Following the steel version launched last year, this 2026 release introduces a full-titanium construction; meet the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 in […]
Monochrome
IWC Schaffhausen has a very unique history when it comes to perpetual calendars. Naturally, this immediately brings to mind one particular figure: Kurt Klaus. His remarkable perpetual calendar module has left a mark on the history of watchmaking, notably as one of the most user-friendly systems ever created, where all adjustments can be made simply […]
WatchAdvice
In a slimmer 41mm case size, the time-only versions of IWC Schaffhausen’s TOP GUN Editions are great daily watches. We went hands-on with each to see which was the favourite! What We Love The white ceramic on the Lake Tahoe is super fresh. The size and lighter weight make these very easy-to-wear watches Both rubber straps are comfortable, and each has nice design touches. What We Don’t The Mojave Desert can blend into your skin depending on your skin type The anti-reflective coating on the slightly domed crystal does make it hard to take a good photo! The luminescence on the hands and dial could be better and of a higher grade. Overall Rating: 8.9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 This article was originally published as IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Automatic TOP GUN Editions Review First Impressions When I first saw the white Lake Tahoe Pilot’s Watch 41 Top Gun earlier this year, I was keen to get both it and the Mojave Desert model to compare them properly. My initial impression? They’re essentially the same watch, just in different colourways, with the Mojave on a fabric-inlaid rubber strap and the Lake Tahoe on straight rubber. But sometimes, that slight aesthetic difference makes all the impact, as I was to find out! The Lake Tahoe feels fresh and bold. With its all-white case and strap against a black dial, it jumps off the wrist. The Mojave Desert, with its sand-coloured case, strap, and matching indices on a gre...
Fratello
I have always thought of the IWC Portugieser as an elegantly styled chronograph or a clean time-only watch. Until today, that is, because the brand from Schaffhausen introduces an all-black Portugieser Chronograph in Ceratanium. Yes, please take a moment to let that sink in. Previously, the light, scratch-resistant Ceratanium material was used only in IWC’s […] Visit Introducing: The All-Black IWC Portugieser Chronograph In Ceratanium to read the full article.
Fratello
Ceramic watches have been around for ages. The high-tech material with remarkable qualities and an unmistakable appearance has a significant fan base, and plenty of brands recognize that. Not Moser. The brand from Schaffhausen, known for its unconventional ways, never ventured into the world of ceramic watches until now. But the retro-futuristic H. Moser & […] Visit H. Moser & Cie. Joins The Ceramic Crew - Introducing The Streamliner Tourbillon Concept Ceramic to read the full article.
Deployant
The Limited-Edition Portugieser Automatic 42 Year of the Horse is a commemorative timepiece released by IWC Schaffhausen to mark the upcoming Lunar New Year. Limited to 500 pieces, it features a 42.4mm stainless steel case, a burgundy dial with gold accents, and the IWC-manufactured 52011 caliber offering a seven-day power reserve. The rotor is shaped like a galloping horse, visible through the sapphire caseback.
Deployant
The Limited-Edition Portugieser Automatic 42 Year of the Horse is a commemorative timepiece released by IWC Schaffhausen to mark the upcoming Lunar New Year. Limited to 500 pieces, it features a 42.4mm stainless steel case, a burgundy dial with gold accents, and the IWC-manufactured 52011 caliber offering a seven-day power reserve. The rotor is shaped like a galloping horse, visible through the sapphire caseback. Pricing for this model is listed at approximately €14,800, though regional availability and final retail prices may vary.
Teddy Baldassarre
Few watch brands are as readily identified with aviation and the history of pilot’s watches than IWC, which not only gave the watch world two of the genre’s most iconic (and widely emulated) timepieces, the Big Pilot’s Watch and the Mark 11, but also has used both these groundbreaking models as foundations for a sprawling and diverse collection of contemporary aviation-inspired watches today. Here is the story of IWC Pilot’s Watches, from the Special Watch for Pilots to the Spitfire to the Top Gun, from simple three-hand to perpetual calendar, and everything in between. F.A. Jones’ International Dream (1860s - 1930s) IWC founder Florentine Ariosto Jones Other than the fact that he came to Switzerland in 1868, at the relatively tender age of 27, to become the first American-born founder of a Swiss watch company, little is known about the life of IWC patriarch Florentine Ariosto Jones. He was born in New Hampshire in 1841 and fought in the American Civil War for the Massachusetts Infantry. His postwar career at the renowned Massachusetts watchmaker E. Howard & Co. led to his European sojourn and the establishment of the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. From the outset, Jones’ business plan was to marry the generational watchmaking expertise of the Swiss with the then-new, assembly-line production techniques of the U.S.A. His decision to locate his factory in Schaffhausen, near Switzerland’s northern border with Germany, rather tha...
SJX Watches
Schaffhausen-based H. Moser & Cie. returns to a complication it once offered with the Pioneer Flying Hours, a new take on the wandering hours. The watch indicates the minutes on a central ring, while the hours seemingly jump from one window to the other. With this intriguing new display, the Flying Hours might just be being one of the most interesting jumping hours on the market. Initial thoughts The Pioneer Flying Hours is not Moser’s first attempt at the wandering hours: the Endeavour Flying Hours was launched some seven years ago and an update on the historical complication. With new Pioneer, however, Moser manages to capture the mystique of both early wandering hours and mysterious clocks with its darting, wandering display. It is a tidy and admittedly novel reinterpretation of the wandering hours, which will surely appeal to collectors. There is something poetic about the minutes scale moving continuously across shuttered apertures, its sweep much like a bridge between points in time, here represented spatially. The combination of the sporty and large Pioneer case is also odd with the wandering hours, historically a complication associated with more formal, slim cases. At almost 43 mm, the case is large even for a sports watch. And to nitpick: if there is anything objectionable from the get-go, that is the name. Strictly speaking, “Flying hours” describes a revolving platform that is only supported from below - like a flying tourbillon. Here the hour disks a...
Worn & Wound
Happy first weekend of August, and welcome to another new release summary! Would that make it a “summery” summary? Bad alliterative jokes aside, we’ve seen some exciting new pieces from big-name watchmakers and microbrands alike. Rounding out this release list are a colorful new IWC Top Gun collab, a Jaeger-LeCoulture that shoots for the stars, a meteoric Bremont with lofty aspirations, and a Minase that brings a little winter chill to the summer sun. Read on, and let us know if there is a new release that you think we missed out on in the comments! IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar Far from their first Top Gun release, IWC’s new chronograph may not seem that exciting at first glance. But the new Miramar edition has a secret weapon: a Pantone hue of the same name. Other Top Gun IWCs have been made available in shades of black, gray, and beige, which although appropriate for the military-theme, aren’t terribly exciting from a color perspective. The Miramar, then, stands out with its unapologetically cheery blue, inspired by the light blue t-shirts worn by TOPGUN flight instructors under their flight suits. It’s not just the color that gives the Miramar an edge, though. Design-wise, the left-leaning subdials at the 12, 6, and 9 o’clock positions, balanced out by the dual date and day windows, provide for a handsomely readable aesthetic. The typeface is characteristic of other IWC Top Gun watches, with rounded sans serif numeral...
Monochrome
For quite some years now, IWC Schaffhausen has been playing around with colours and ceramics under the name of Colours of TOP GUN. Inspired by various elements of the famous US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program, better known as TOP GUN, the sub-collection exclusively uses ceramic for its cases. Until now, that is, as […]
WatchAdvice
A chronograph born for the big screen, forged in gold, and fuelled by Formula 1. The latest IWC Pilot’s APXGP Watch Performance Chronograph 41 isn’t just a watch; it’s a celebration of performance, precision, and pure emotion. From the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to the cinema, and now on my wrist, this is one experience I won’t forget anytime soon. What We Love The gold, black, and white perfectly reflect the colour palette of the APXGP racing team. The timepiece offers strong wrist presence with beautiful case finishing and a lively dial. From the film to the real-world F1 team, this is storytelling done right on the wrist. What We Don’t The smoked caseback adds to the stealth aesthetic, but slightly reducing the tint would’ve been better to showcase the beautiful movement finishing. And possibly a gold rotor to really nail home the APXGP ties! A touch less white on the dial (especially the minute track) could further enhance the legibility and let the gold accents shine even more. While 41mm is a signature size in IWC’s Pilot’s collection, the watch may still feel larger for slimmer wrists. Overall Rating: 8.8/10 Value for Money: 8.5/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 This review is unlike anything I’ve written before, because the watch at the heart of it is unlike anything I’ve experienced before! The IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 isn’t just another Pilots Chronograph model; it’s a symbol of speed...
Monochrome
IWC Schaffhausen continues to expand its “Colours of Top Gun” series with the latest Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert. This new iteration introduces a compact, sand-toned variant to the series, a colour normally found in large watches. Drawing inspiration from the arid terrain surrounding the U.S. Navy’s China Lake testing facility and the […]
Hodinkee
Christian Knoop, Chief Design Officer of IWC Schaffhausen, joined Hodinkee founder Ben Clymer for an engaging conversation celebrating the Ingenieur's past, present, and future.
Hodinkee
A HODINKEE Style Guide, Presented By IWC Schaffhausen
Monochrome
It is widely known that IWC has experience with ceramic watches since it was the first brand to release a timepiece made of zirconium oxide (the real name for ceramic) in 1985 with the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar. In recent years, the Schaffhausen-based brand has been playing a lot with colours, releasing Top Gun models […]
Fratello
Once again, we find ourselves with an article by yours truly on an IWC. Oh well, I’ve bought another vintage watch from International Watch Company Schaffhausen. It’s starting to become a bit of a running joke. This time, though, I haven’t gone for steel. Instead, I bought my very first gold watch. I seem to […] Visit My First Gold Watch: An IWC Cal. 8531 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
IWC is a Swiss watch company, founded by an American, whose history is closely tied with Germany. But one of its most enduringly popular timepiece families is called the Portugieser, and it’s likely that lots of enthusiasts and would-be owners don’t even know why - or that the watch itself preceded that now-familiar name by many decades. What's indisputable is the Portugieser's key role in IWC's history and its impact on watchmaking - from its humble origins as a market-specific experiment to its modern incarnation as a major pillar of IWC's collection. 1939: Two Portuguese Businessmen Walk Into a Watch Factory… Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Actually, don’t bother, because I’ll be retelling the origin story of the IWC Portugieser anyway, for those who aren’t familiar with it. Like much of the rest of the world, in the throes of the Great Depression and under the gathering storm clouds of a second World War, the Swiss watch industry was facing rough economic times in the 1930s. The International Watch Company, based in Schaffhausen in Switzerland’s German-speaking north, dealt with the challenges in a number of practical ways. One was by making wristwatches that could be worn by military pilots for the aerial combat that was looking increasingly inevitable. (I tell that story in much more detail here.) Another was by expanding its reach to international markets such as Portugal. Thus it came to be that two gentlemen by the name of Antonio...
Monochrome
Let’s get up close and personal… We have already explored the revamped IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in detail when it was launched in 2023, the same year that the Schaffhausen-based brand decided to give this long-lasting collection its 1976 Genta-inspired design back. More recently, what is now a strong contender in the luxury sports watch […]
WatchAdvice
The IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 is a sophisticated timepiece that blends timeless elegance with modern innovation. With its subtle updates for 2024, we explore just how much this new iteration stands apart from its predecessors. What We Love Slimmer case design New elegant dials offer a lot of versatility and wearability. The watch looks fantastic on the wrist! Date window also seamlessly blends in with the dial. What We Don’t The leather strap’s clasp isn’t my first choice for the design, as it’s hard to open. Movement could do with more finishing. With case thickness reducing, the size could’ve been slimmed down too! Overall Score: 8.5 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser line needs no introduction. It’s one of the most important collections not only from the brand but in the world of watchmaking. The story of the Portugieser is one of triumph, where it overcame obscurity to become one of the most iconic timepieces in the horology. View this post on Instagram A post shared by IWC Schaffhausen (@iwcwatches) The IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Automatic 42 “Silver Moon” IWC Schaffhausen has stayed true to the original design of the Portugieser, released in 1942, with the timepiece’s clean and simple design with sharp, refined hands and the Arabic hour indices being signature details. If you were to pick up one of the first 1940s models, you’d be easily able to pick the simil...
Fratello
Earlier this year, I wrote about a special watch from the International Watch Company Schaffhausen. That was the IWC reference IW3281-02, also known as the Pilot’s Watch Automatic RAAF (henceforth called “IWC RAAF watch” for brevity). This special timepiece pays homage to the original IWC Mark 11 watches issued to the Royal Australian Air Force […] Visit The IWC RAAF Watch Is A Reminder Of The Brand’s Rich Past to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
The IWC Portugieser is one of the Schaffhausen brand’s most iconic models, and with a new lineup this year, we thought we would take the new Portugieser Chronograph ‘Dune’ out to see how it feels on the wrist. What We Love The watch’s ability to pair with most outfits The dial finishing is excellent, with the sunray finish looking stunning The design is timeless and won’t date easily What We Don’t The monochromatic coloured dial could use some contrast to aid with legibility The clasp is a little hard to open The lack of a date window gives it less functionality Overall Score: 8.6 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 2024 has been a stellar year for IWC Schaffhausen. They launched the new look Portugieser collection at Watches & Wonders 2024, which I felt was one of the best collections released at the fair this year. Whilst other brands focused their efforts on just a few models or high complications, IWC took the opportunity to re-vamp the entire line, with new colourways reflecting the times of the day and in steel and precious metals. They also had an epic soundtrack playing in their booth, which could be heard throughout the Palexpo, so it was almost as if IWC provided the soundtrack to Watches & Wonders 2024. They also released the Portugieser Eternal Calendar as part of this collection which was the brand’s contribution to the high-end pieces we saw throughout the fair, which then went on to break the Guin...
Teddy Baldassarre
IWC Schaffhausen is the quintessential example of a watchmaker that set out to become famous for one thing but ended up being famous for something else. Founded in 1868 by American expat Florentine Ariosto Jones, the International Watch Company devoted itself chiefly to luxuriously decorated pocket watches in its early years but when the military needs of a European continent at war came calling in the 1940s, Jones’ firm shifted its production to focus on decidedly no-frills, robust, utilitarian wristwatches for use in the cockpits of planes. Fast forwarding to today, most watch enthusiasts still regard IWC first and foremost as a leader in the pilot’s watch genre. But that wasn’t always the case, and in fact, IWC’s 21st-Century collection is about as diverse as that of any watch brand out there. For a newbie to the brand, however, that diversity — and even the diversity within the vastly expanded Pilot’s collection itself — can prove daunting, especially when attempting to choose which IWC watches offer the price-to-value ratio that would motivate one to pull the trigger on a purchase. In this latest article in our recently inaugurated Price of Admission series, I will attempt to help you make sense of IWC’s modern collection from an entry-level pricing standpoint, homing in on the best models to consider as one’s “first” IWC watch. PILOT’S WATCHES: IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic 36 ($4,350) It’s appropriate to start our exploration with the Pilot...
Fratello
H. Moser & Cie. is not the type of brand that revels in its heritage. The brand’s catalog consists of forward-focused offerings that are hardly ever sentimental in this sense. This is quite admirable as there is plenty of history to lean on, but the Schaffhausen-based company prefers to lean on its present-day prowess. Enter […] Visit Introducing: The H. Moser & Cie. × Massena Lab Endeavour Chronograph to read the full article.
Fratello
This feature was researched with the help of Nic Barnes, who is a pilot, watch enthusiast, and occasional contributor for Watches of Espionage. Our thanks to the Schaffhausen City Archive and Schaffhauser Magazine for providing materials that greatly contributed to our research for this story. It is one about a remarkable man with connections to […] Visit The Olympian IWC Watch Designer Who Fought Nazis In The Skies Of Switzerland to read the full article.
WatchAdvice
The IWC Ingenieur is, in my opinion, one of Gerald Genta’s most underrated designs. But does it hold up compared to some of his most iconic pieces? Let’s find out! What We Love: Breathtaking design Moulds perfectly onto my wrist Genta heritage, but feels unique What We Don’t: A micro-adjust butterfly clasp would be nice Would love a display back Would be nice to have a COSC movement Final Score: 8.75/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 10/10 Build Quality: 8/10 IWC is a watch brand that for me personally, I hadn’t really done a deep dive into before. I feel that it is a brand that if you know, you know, and once you get into the brand, many people are hooked. But when I joined Watch Advice, I began to delve deeper into the industry and watchmaking itself. To my surprise (and nobody else’s), I discovered that IWC had contributed much more to horology than I had ever cared to know before. This and the fact that the guys visited the Manufacture in Schaffhausen in April, and regaled me of their adventures there! The giant perpetual calendar movement on the wall in the entry of the IWC Manufacture in Schaffhausen which we visited earlier this year before Watches & Wonders 2024 Founded in 1868 by Bostonian watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones, the International Watch Company found its roots during Jones’ time in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. From there, they would combine American manufacturing with Swiss craftsmanship to produce high-quality timepiece...
Teddy Baldassarre
IWC released a new generation of its Ingenieur collection in 2023, at what many would consider the tail end of the integrated-luxury-sport-watch craze that gripped the industry heading into 2020. At the time, it was tempting to say that IWC was a bit late to the punch here, especially considering the Schaffhausen-based brand's enviable position of having an original Gérald Genta design from the ‘70s to utilize. In hindsight, however, it seems that IWC was playing the long game, and wasn’t interested in rushing out a throwback type of release. Instead, IWC took a bit more time and released a modern rendition of the original Genta design, released in 1976, as a foundation for years to come. The result is the Reference 3289 Ingenieur, and it’s a watch that looks to do more than merely capitalize on a passing trend. There are two watches with which you likely associate the name Gérald Genta, and those are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Genta penned both of these now iconic designs, in 1972 and 1976 respectively, and they have served as cornerstones in creating the premium sport-watch genre as a whole, as well as helped to spawn the subset of integrated-bracelet designs within it. But those are far from the only watches that can be attributed to Genta, and in fact, aren’t even the only integrated-bracelet sport-watch designs to come out of that era. In 1976, he also designed a new Ingenieur for IWC, known as the SL Ref. 1832 (tha...
Fratello
Last year, the IWC Ingenieur returned. The original Gérald Genta design got reworked and, when launched in steel and titanium, proved an alternative to the (un)available Royal Oak and Nautilus, the most iconic of Genta-penciled watches. A recent visit to IWC’s museum in Schaffhausen, on the banks of the river Rhine, sparked a couple of […] Visit The IWC Yacht Club II Ref. 3212 Is A Genta Design I Would Like To See Reborn to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The Schaffhausen brand has whipped up a new ceramic composite dubbed Ceralume, with Lewis Hamilton repping it in Monaco.The post Lewis Hamilton spotted at Monaco Grand Prix wearing a fully luminous ceramic IWC prototype appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
IWC Schaffhausen has undertaken a comprehensive reworking and refinement of one of its most iconic models, the Portugieser collection. At Watches and Wonders this week in Geneva, four new versions are unveiled: two in white gold with blue and sand-coloured dials and two in Armor Gold with black and silver dials. And there’s more to […]
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