IWC Fetes 150 Years

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN rolled out a Jubilee collection of 28 limited-edition timepieces at last month's Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie watch show for the brand's 150th birthday bash.

The watches are from different lines in IWC's portfolio - the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot's Watch and Da Vinci - but they all share a common feature: the dial of the watches is white or blue-lacquered, reminiscent of heritage enamelled finishes.

But the star piece in the collection is a resurrection of the 1886 Savonnette Pocket Watch Pallweber. The timepiece is reincarnated in its original pocket-watch form as well as in a modern wristwatch.

The IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition "150 Years", limited to 50 pieces, is IWC's first pocket watch with a digital hours and minutes display since the production of the original was discontinued in 1890. It's powered by a hand-wound in-house movement encased in red gold.

The pocket watch, which is worn with a matching red gold chain, is decorated in detail with guilloche work. Its cover opens to a lacquer-finished white dial with white display discs. A small blue hand tells the seconds, while the hours and minutes are read in two windows above the sub-dial of the seconds.

The Tribute to the Pallweber wristwatch - IWC's first digital watch on the wrist - shares similar features as the pocket watch but, apart from red gold (250 pieces), it is also available in platinum (25 pieces) and stainless steel (500 pieces).

Five limited-edition Portugieser wristwatches were unveiled in the Jubilee collection. There's the technically sophisticated Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillion Edition "150 Years" (15 pieces), which combines a constant-force tourbillon with a simple moon phase display - an IWC first.

The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition (50 pieces) also brings a perpetual calendar and a tourbillon together for the first time in an IWC timepiece - thanks to a new in-house movement, which is nestled in a red gold case.

The other three Portugieser models in the Jubilee collection are the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition (250 pieces), the Portugieser Chronograph Edition (2,000 pieces) and the Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition (1,000 pieces) that offer eight days' power reserve.

The Portofino timepieces in the Jubilee edition include the Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase Edition "150 Years" in red gold (150 pieces) and steel (350 pieces). Then there is the Portofino Chronograph Edition in steel with blue dial (2,000 pieces) and in steel with white dial (2,000 pieces).

The Portofino Automatic Edition (2,000 pieces) is also offered in steel in a blue-and-white dial.

The Jubilee collection also consists of three models from the Pilot's Watches line: the Big Pilot's Watch Annual Calendar Edition (100 pieces); the Big Pilot's Big Date Edition (100 pieces in steel/blue dial and 100 pieces in steel/white dial); and the popular Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition (1,000 pieces).

The Big Date is the first IWC Big Pilot's Watch with large numerals in a big date display beneath the triangular index at 12 o'clock.

Two models from the Da Vinci line completed the Jubilee collection. The first, the Da Vinci Automatic Edition (500 pieces in red gold and 500 pieces in steel), features a small seconds sub-dial - and it is the first watch to be equipped with the new IWC-manufactured 82200 movement.

While the Da Vinci Automatic, which has a 40mm case, may be worn by both women and men, the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 Edition (50 pieces in white gold and 50 pieces in red gold) is for the ladies. Its 36mm case is decked with 2.26 carats of pure white diamonds.