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IWC
Founded in Schaffhausen in 1868 by an American engineer, IWC is the Swiss house built on industrial precision rather than Genevan tradition. Haute Time covers the Big Pilot, the Portugieser and the perpetual calendars that made Kurt Klaus famous.
264Stories published
1868Maison founded
6Current collections
IWC Schaffhausen is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1868 by the American engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones in Schaffhausen, and owned by Richemont. Its principal collections are the Pilot's Watches, including the Big Pilot, plus the Portugieser, Portofino, Ingenieur and Aquatimer. IWC is known for its perpetual calendar module, designed by Kurt Klaus in 1985 to be set entirely from the crown and to run correctly to the year 2499, and for engineering-led case materials such as Ceratanium.
IWC SchaffhausenFounded 1868SchaffhausenRichemontBig PilotPortugieserIngenieurPerpetual CalendarKurt KlausCeratanium
The Collection
Big Pilot's Watch
Aviation · 43-46mm
Cal. 52110
Pilot's Watch Mark XX
Aviation · 40mm
Cal. 32111
Portugieser Automatic
Dress · 40-42mm
Cal. 52010 / 82200
Portugieser Chronograph
Chronograph · 41mm
Cal. 69355
Ingenieur
Integrated bracelet · 35-40mm
Cal. 32111
Portofino
Classical · 34-40mm
Cal. 35111 / 82200
Latest IWC Coverage
All 264 Stories ›
News
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41’s Vivid Violet Singapore Grand Prix Makeover
All Features
The 5 Watch Complications Every Collector Should Understand
News
IWC’s New Big Pilot’s Watch ProSet Reinvents the Perpetual Calendar for Mercedes-Benz’s 140th
News
Tracing the Roots of the New IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35
News
Your Concise Guide to Integrated Bracelet Watches
Celebrities
IWC Dominates the 2026 Miami F1 Grand Prix
Milestones
1868
Florentine Ariosto Jones founds IWC in Schaffhausen, pairing American manufacturing methods with Swiss craft.
1940
The Big Pilot's Watch 52 T.S.C. establishes the oversized aviation format.
1985
Kurt Klaus's Da Vinci perpetual calendar is set entirely from the crown and programmed to 2499.
2023
The Ingenieur returns in a redesigned Genta-derived integrated-bracelet form.
Timely FAQs
What is IWC best known for?
Pilot's watches and perpetual calendars. The Big Pilot is the defining oversized aviation watch, and the Kurt Klaus perpetual calendar module - adjustable from the crown alone, correct until 2499 - is one of the most practical complications in watchmaking.
Why is IWC in Schaffhausen and not Geneva?
Because its founder was American. Florentine Ariosto Jones came from Boston in 1868 looking for skilled Swiss labour and cheap hydropower from the Rhine, and set up in Schaffhausen in the German-speaking north rather than the French-speaking watch valleys.
What is Ceratanium?
An IWC-developed material that is machined like titanium and then heat-treated so its surface becomes ceramic - giving a matte black case that is as light as titanium and as scratch-resistant as ceramic, with no coating to wear off.
Where can I read IWC reviews from a watch publication?
Haute Time has published more than 130 IWC stories since 2006, covering Pilot's Watch and Portugieser launches, the Ingenieur relaunch, and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One partnership editions.