SESQUICENTENNIAL SENSATION
IWC Schaffhausen celebrates its 150th birthday with a 27-strong collection
THIS IS A BIG YEAR for IWC Schaffhausen, as the brand marks its 150th anniversary with a commemorative Jubilee collection. Comprising 27 new models, each one draws on landmark innovations from the maison’s illustrious history, from new movements to limited editions of bestselling collections. While retaining the design codes, each features a dial in white or blue lacquer – a nod to the enamel faces of the original Pallweber pocket watches from the 19th century.
With the IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition 150 Years, the watchmaker also directly references the historic pocket watch. Available in platinum, red gold or stainless steel, this is also a limited edition, and presents jumping hours and minutes as well as subsidiary seconds.
The watch also uses an original in-house IWC 94200 calibre. It comes with a patent-pending digital display of the hours and minutes, which uses a separate wheel train for the single minute disc, hence ensuring the power flow in the main wheel train remains uninfluenced. As such, the movement has a 60-hour power reserve.
This year, IWC also hlighlights technical innovations, such as the Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition 150 Years (Ref 5902). This platinum-encased watch is driven by a new in-house, hand-wound 94805 calibre offering 96 hours of power. A highly complex creation, it’s the first IWC to combine a constant-force tourbillon with a simple moonphase display, the latter only needing adjustment after 577.5 years.
Likewise, the 50-piece Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition 150 Years (Ref IW504501) is the first to offer a perpetual calendar alongside a tourbillon on the dial, thanks to a new in-house automatic 51950 calibre. By integrating the moon phase with the month display disc at 6 o’clock, the calendar advance ring opens to reveal the tourbillon at 12 o’clock. The watch is limited to only 15 pieces each for the blue or white dial.
In the relaunched Da Vinci collection are two new limited editions: the Da Vinci Automatic Edition 150 Years (Ref 3581), which features sub-seconds at 6 o’clock, has a new IWC 82200 automatic calibre with a Pellaton winding system and a 60-hour power reserve. The Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 Edition 150 Years (Ref 4593) is a gem-set statement ladies’ timepiece paved with 206 diamonds.
The Jubilee collection culminates with three commemorative Pilot’s Watches. The first, Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “150 Years” (Ref IW502708), is a 100-piece-only watch – and the only one of this range – with an annual calendar. IWC also presents its first Big Pilot with a big date display and manual winding in-house calibre 59235. The Big Pilot’s Watch
Big Date Edition 150 Years (Ref 5105) has an eight-day power reserve and its movement is enclosed in a soft iron cage with a circular display window.
Of course, the IWC product range wouldn’t be complete without a classic: the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition 150 Years (Ref IW377725), is presented in stainless steel with white lacquered dial and blued hands. Limited to 1,000 pieces, it’s driven by a self-winding chronograph 79320 calibre with stopwatch function.