A brief history of the IWC brand
International Watch Company (IWC) was founded in 1868 by American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He used advanced American manufacturing techniques with traditional Swiss craftsmanship, establishing IWC as a pioneer in engineering as it relates to watchmaking. Interestingly, this blends a key milestone in US industry, like the industrial revolution and the assembly line, with traditional Swiss engineering methods. IWC offers a really strong bang-for-buck where you get a lot of value and usage of out of an IWC you can buy comfortably second-hand under $5k.
The company became well known for pilot watches in the 1930s and 1940s, developing watches specifically for aviation professionals like pilots with components like anti-magnetic cases and highly legible dials. Today, IWC continues its tradition of technical innovation and precision engineering, producing sophisticated timepieces that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
IWC’s is one of the most sustainable watch brands.
IWC has long been a leader in sustainable watchmaking, going above and beyond in their commitment to the environment. At their headquarters in Schaffhausen, 97% of the energy they use comes from renewable sources—setting them apart from many other brands. In 2018, IWC became the first luxury watchmaker to meet the Responsible Jewellery Council’s updated Code of Practices. They prioritize responsible sourcing, using ethically mined gold and diamonds, and have integrated thorough environmental management systems into their manufacturing processes.
On top of their sustainability efforts, IWC keeps pushing the boundaries of innovation, crafting their own in-house calibers and using cutting-edge materials like ceramic and titanium to create luxury timepieces.
Below is a list of our top 10 favorite IWC models:
10. IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX IW328201 – $5,250 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
120 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
21 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
40mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX is the latest evolution of IWC’s iconic Mark series, which goes back to the legendary Mark 11 from 1948. This new styling features a clean, highly legible dial with luminous hands and indices, making it perfect for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. The watch is powered by IWC’s caliber 32111, offering an impressive 120-hour power reserve.
9. IWC Portofino Automatic IW356523 – $6,100 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
72 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
25 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
39mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Portofino Automatic is simple and elegant with a clean dial and refined sizing. This model has a silver-plated dial with gold-plated hands and indices, creating a timeless look that works well in a variety of uses. This watch is very thin at 9.2mm and moderate 39mm case size make it a good option choice for both formal occasions and daily driver usage. The watch is powered by the IWC caliber 35111, providing reliable automatic winding and a comfortable 72-hour power reserve.
8. IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 IW388103 – $7,100 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
46 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
33 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
41mm |
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Where to Buy |
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This is one of my favorite watches, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 has a classic pilot watch look, but the very nice green dial color. It’s still very reliable and accurate, powered by the IWC-manufactured 69385 caliber, this watch has a notably reliable chronograph mechanism with hour, minute, and second counters. The smaller 41mm case size gives it great wearability while maintaining the classic pilot’s watch presence. The brown leather strap also looks great with a variety of dress styles and can be dressed up with matching brown leather shoes or down for casual wear.
7. IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000 IW358002 – $9,900 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
120 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
31 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
46mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000 is a professional-style diver watch with a 2000-meter water resistance rating, quite high and usable for actual diving (versus just looking cool). It has the in-house engineered IWC SafeDive system for the rotating bezel and the IWC quick-change bracelet system. The titanium case houses the IWC 82110 caliber, offering exceptional durability and precision. It’s a unique diver watch, so if you want a diver that’s not a submariner, this is a good choice.
6. IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371615 – $12,700 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
46 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
27 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
41mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Portugieser Chronograph is one of IWC’s most well known models, a great value for roughly $8k on the pre-owned market. The in-house caliber 69355 powers this clean chronograph, visible through the sapphire case back. The styling of the casing and the numbers in the face along with a leather strap make this one feel like it’s more well-suited for formal attire. This case size is also fairly large at 41mm, so it demands attention.
5. IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 IW329301 – $13,100 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
60 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
31 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
43mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 is one of the most iconic IWC watches, with the classic military-inspired styling that goes back to 1940. Powered by the in-house 82100 caliber, it features the distinctive large crown and clear, legible dial characteristic of pilot’s watches. The 43mm case size is pretty large on the wrist so it’s great that this watch is otherwise pretty casual and can make for a great daily driver.
4. IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner IW395503 – $15,400 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
60 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
35 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
46mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner is one of the most unique travel watches in the luxury watch industry. This watch has a really unique world time mechanism that allows instant adjustment of multiple time zones by simply rotating the bezel. The watch is powered by the IWC-manufactured caliber 82760, and has the Pellaton automatic winding functionality and a convenient world time function perfect for frequent travelers. If you’re looking for a travel watch, this is one of the best and most unique pieces built by a company that is known for travel watches.
3. IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW503312 – $37,900 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
168 Hours (7 Days) |
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Jewel Count |
54 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
44.2 mm |
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Where to Buy |
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While the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar isn’t as often as recognized as many others in the price range, it is truly a masterpiece in watchmaking. This watch has a perpetual calendar mechanism that automatically adjusts for months and leap years until 2100. Powered by the IWC-manufactured caliber 52615, it also has an impressive 7-day power reserve and displays the moon phases for both northern and southern hemispheres. Many moon phase watches can be costly, and this is one of the best on the market. The one in the image here is a rose gold variant which looks absolutely gorgeous on the blue dial.
2. IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon IW590502 – $268,000 msrp
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
96 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
104 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
46.2 mm |
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Where to Buy |
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Now we’re into the watches that are not as easy to find. This IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon represents the top quality coming out of IWC. This watch has a platinum case and a constant-force tourbillon mechanism, which is very unique. This piece combines the iconic Big Pilot’s design with Haute Horlogerie complications. This is a patented unique constant-force mechanism which makes this watch very precise for the entire duration of the power reserve.
1. IWC Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia IW504101 – $750,000
| Watch Details | ||
|---|---|---|
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Power Reserve |
96 Hours |
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Jewel Count |
128 Jewels |
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Hacking |
Yes |
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Case Size |
46 mm |
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Where to Buy |
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The IWC Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia is IWC’s most complicated watch ever made and can be very challenging to find even on the secondary market. This watch, similar to the previous one, has a constant-force tourbillon. It’s almost hard to call this a ‘watch’ as it is more like an astronomical tool. It displays sidereal time, a custom star chart of the night sky from any specified location, and the back of the watch even looks like the night sky from your own home (somehow). Each piece is made to order and takes months to complete, representing the absolute pinnacle of IWC’s watchmaking capabilities.
