In 1868, American designer Florentine Ariosto Jones immigrated to Switzerland, merging American ambition with centuries of Swiss engineering to create an atelier whose watches would embody both traditions beautifully.
IWC Schaffhausen watches were the first timepieces to implement the innovation of a digital (featuring digits, in this case) hour and minute display. Rich with innovation and artistry that have marked this brand for over a century, IWC Schaffhausen watches remain a Swiss-engineered treasure, and we’re going to turn the spotlight on them today:
IWC Portofino
The Portofino collection from IWC Schaffhausen is one of the designer’s younger collections, dating back to the 1980s. The design of IWC Portofino watches embodies the ideals of minimalism from the bezel to the numerals.
Set in a polished bezel, a Portofino watch boasts a smooth, uncluttered dial. The numerals are slightly raised, their Roman numerals accompanied by slender feuille hands.
With so much detail packed into an unadorned piece of grace, it’s hard to notice the technological superiority of a Portofino watch — as well as the hidden etching of the seaside Italian town of Portofino, whose beauty inspired this line of timepieces.
IWC Portugieser
Going back to 1939, IWC Portugieser watches feature similar qualities to its brother collection above: Slender feulle hands and slightly raised metal numerals all scream “IWC”.
However, there are some elements that set this collection apart. The numerals are clean, sans-serif Arabic numerals, and a “railroad track” chapter ring connects them.
The collection is also very large, incorporating pocket watch style with its automatic movement and features like a chronograph, month-day-date marker, Moon phase tracker, and perpetual calendar.
IWC Pilot’s
IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s watches are inspired by the history of the company. IWC has a long tradition of designing wristwatches for pilots, adding useful features such as an oversized conical crown for easy gripping, luminescent hands and numerals set against a matte black dial, and an illuminated triangular index at “12:00”.
But the pilots of the 1930s and 40s would never have imagined the ceramic cases used here, the water resistance down to 200 feet, or the 42-hour power reserves that can be found in these IWC watches.
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