IWC Schaffhausen watches

IWC Schaffhausen was founded in 1868 as the International Watch Company by the American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones, formerly of E. Howard & Co. in Boston. Its factory on the banks of the Rhine in Schaffhausen, built in 1875, is still the headquarters. After Jones's venture failed, Johannes Rauschenbach-Vogel took over the company in 1880. In 1885 IWC sold pocket watches with Pallweber digital hour and minute displays.

IWC introduced the Special Pilot's Watch in 1936 and the Big Pilot's Watch in 1940, and the Mark 11 pilot's watch of 1948 used the calibre 89. The Portugieser originated in 1939 with an order for large wristwatches with pocket-watch movements. The Ingenieur followed in 1955, the Aquatimer dive watch in 1967 and the Da Vinci in 1969. Albert Pellaton's automatic winding system, introduced in 1950, remains associated with IWC movements. Richemont acquired IWC in 2000. Current collections include Pilot's Watches, Portugieser, Portofino, Ingenieur, Aquatimer and Da Vinci.