The International Watch Company was founded in 1868 by American engineer and watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Now known as IWC, the Swiss watchmaker is famous for its solid range of pilot watches, chronographs, complications, and other luxury Swiss-made timepieces.
IWC is one of the oldest and most famous Swiss watches. It is known for its innovative and complicated watches. Founded by Frédéric Girard in 1868, IWC has some of the most prestigious and sought-after luxury watches in the world. The IWC brand is one of the most renowned and sought-after watch brands. Their watch collection is second to none for hand-crafted products and of the highest quality in the world.
In 1885, IWC was granted the rights to the Pallweber system, invented by watchmaker Josef Pallweber and characterized by a digital display with numerals in windows for the hours and minutes rather than traditional hands. This distinctive display can still be found on modern IWC watches for sale today.
In 1936, IWC developed its first Special Pilot's Watch for civilian aviation, and a few years later in 1940 the IWC Big Pilot Watch was created and supplied to the German Airforce “Luftwaffe” during the Second World War. In 1948, IWC began production of the Pilot's Watch Mark 11 model, which was then supplied to the British Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth nations the following year until 1981. These three pilot watches laid the foundation for the expansive IWC Pilot’s Watch collection, which is home to fan-favorite aviation models such as the Big Pilot, Mark series, and Top Gun models. In short, the Pilot’s Watch lineup offers some of the most popular IWC watches for sale.
Another popular option when you buy IWC watches is the Portugieser. The history of the Portugieser dates back to 1939 when two Portuguese businessmen commissioned IWC wristwatches with precise pocket watch movements inside. Modern IWC Portugieser watches maintained much of the design of those early models including round cases, slim bezels, expansive dials with Arabic numerals and slim baton hands.
Other great options when buying IWC watches include the dressy Portofino, the eclectic Da Vinci, the integrated bracelet-equipped Ingenieur, and the Aquatimer dive watches. Plus, the brand also has a selection of watches it makes in honor of its partners including F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, the Laureus Sport for Good charity, and the estate of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author behind Le Petit Prince.
IWC watches are known for their excellent quality, appealing designs, and top-notch movements. While the brand focuses extensively on sporty chronographs and military-inspired pilot watches, it is also a leader in complications such as the perpetual calendar, often with double moonphase indicators. IWC also boasts a large selection of in-house movements.
An area that IWC has centered on in recent years is ceramics, particularly colored ceramics. For instance, IWC offers Top Gun watches, named after the famous United States Navy training program, in various colored ceramic cases.