IWC Schaffhausen: history, models and value

Founded

1868

Founder(s)

Florentine Ariosto Jones

Headquarters

Schaffhausen

Owner / group

Richemont

IWC Schaffhausen: origins and founding

In 1868 Florentine Ariosto Jones, an American watchmaker and former director at E. Howard & Co. in Boston, founded the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen. His plan was to make high-quality movements for the American market using Swiss labor and modern machine methods. Schaffhausen, on the Rhine in northern Switzerland, offered hydropower thanks to the industrialist Heinrich Moser, who had built a power station on the river. Jones's early movements, now called Jones calibres, used a three-quarter plate design that made them sturdy and easier to produce.

Founders and family

Jones's business ran into financial trouble and he returned to the United States. In 1880 the company was taken over by Johann Rauschenbach, a Schaffhausen industrialist. Four generations of the Rauschenbach family owned IWC. After the death of J. Rauschenbach-Schenk in 1905, his son-in-law Ernst Jakob Homberger led the company, and the Homberger family ran IWC for much of the 20th century.

IWC Schaffhausen history and milestones

• Mid-1880s: The Pallweber pocket watch shows hours and minutes as jumping numbers in windows, an early "digital" display.
• 1939: The first Portugieser, a large wristwatch with a pocket-watch movement made for Portuguese clients.
• 1940: The Big Pilot's Watch for aviators.
• 1948: The Mark 11 navigator's watch, later used by the British Royal Air Force and other air forces.
• 1950: The calibre 85, IWC's first in-house automatic movement, with the Pellaton winding system.
• 1955: The first Ingenieur, ref. 666, with antimagnetic protection.
• 1967: The Aquatimer, IWC's first diver's watch.
• 1978: VDO Adolf Schindling AG takes a majority stake.
• 1980: IWC develops titanium bracelets and becomes a pioneer of titanium and later ceramic cases.
• 1985: The Da Vinci perpetual calendar chronograph designed by Kurt Klaus.
• 1990: The Grande Complication ref. 3770, a wristwatch with many complications.
• 1991: IWC becomes part of the LMH group with A. Lange & Söhne and Jaeger-LeCoultre, under Günter Blümlein.
• 2000: Richemont acquires LMH and with it IWC.
• 2018: IWC opens its new manufacturing center in Schaffhausen.

Famous IWC Schaffhausen models

• Pilot's Watches: From the Mark 11 to the Mark series, Big Pilot's Watch and pilot's chronographs.
• Portugieser: Large, clean dress watches with railway-track minute rings and slim leaf hands, including the popular Portugieser Chronograph.
• Ingenieur: Antimagnetic sports watches; a 1976 version was designed by Gérald Genta.
• Aquatimer: Diver's watches since 1967.
• Da Vinci: Known for the 1985 perpetual calendar.
• Portofino: Simpler round dress watches.
• Vintage pocket watches: Many families own IWC pocket watches from the late 19th and early 20th century.

Movements and technique

IWC has a long history of its own movements, from the Jones calibres to the calibre 85 with Pellaton winding, which uses a pawl system to wind in both rotor directions. Kurt Klaus's perpetual calendar is known for being easy to use: all displays are set with the crown, and the moon phase is accurate to one day in 122 years. Today IWC uses in-house calibres in many models, while some entry-level models use movements based on designs from outside suppliers.

IWC Schaffhausen today

IWC belongs to Richemont and is headquartered in Schaffhausen, where the brand also has its manufacturing center and a museum. Christoph Grainger-Herr is the CEO. IWC is a luxury brand, with pilot's watches and the Portugieser as its best-known lines.

IWC Schaffhausen prices on the pre-owned market

Among vintage IWCs, the Mark 11, early Ingenieur references such as the 666, the Genta-designed Ingenieur of the 1970s, early Aquatimers and vintage Portugieser are sought after. Original dials, matching parts and documented military history raise value considerably.

Modern IWCs trade actively. Pilot's chronographs and Portugieser models sell well, and limited editions or discontinued references with in-house movements can attract extra interest. Many standard models sell below their new price. Box, papers and service records help. Older IWC pocket watches are common; their value depends on case metal, movement grade and condition.

How to recognise a genuine IWC Schaffhausen

Modern IWC reference numbers usually start with "IW" followed by six digits and appear on the caseback and papers. The serial number on the case should match the documents. On vintage IWCs, the movement carries its own serial number, and IWC's archive can issue an extract confirming original details. Be careful with vintage pilot's watches and Mark 11s, where redials and replaced parts are common. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch explains the basics.

What is your IWC Schaffhausen worth?

Whether it is a modern Portugieser or an inherited pocket watch, you can upload photos for a free watch value estimate. For estates and insurance, a written watch appraisal is available.

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