IWC Schaffhausen’s Top Gun tribute series to the 1986 film has become one of the watch brand’s most popular lines within the Pilot collection since its introduction in 2012, making the unveiling of the Mark XVIII Top Gun Miramar at this year’s SIHH watch fair a natural progression. Encased in a 41mm ceramic case, the timepiece stays true to its Miramar lineage with a minute and seconds on the main chapter ring and hours on the inner red chapter ring. This mirrors the historical need for military and aviation-geared watches to accurately display seconds, which were crucial to determining location in an era before advanced aviation tools. Powered by an automatic caliber 30110 with a 42-hour power reserve, the case is also shielded to electromagnetism to reduce interference with cockpit instruments. An embossed green calfskin leather strap frames the timepiece, which was designed to emulate the nylon NATO straps of the military.
For Milan Fashion Week FW16 Day 2 I chose a total Diesel Black Gold outfit. I was obsessed by the new BDG type of jeans which fit absolutely amazing. I attended the Verscae, Phillip Plein, Etro, Missoni shows and many many more and I had the best time.
Of course and my latest and true addiction was with me! This amazing IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph in stainless steel with black rubber strap. Design and engineer at its best! Never doubt swiss power!
You know how much I love Fashion Week! It's that period where its all about fashion and you also find the opportunity to see your fashion-friends from all over the world. For Milan Fashion Week Day 1 I chose a total 2 Italian Boys outfit and of course I was wearing my IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph which kept me in style and on time on my shows and appointments.
This Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph in stainless steel wear a black rubber strap. This true item of desire has a mechanical chronograph movement, self winding with 68 - hour power reserve when is fully wound. It also has date display, stopwatch function with hours-minutes-seconds, hour and minute counters combined in a totalizer at 12 o'clock, flay back function and sapphire glass. It is also water resistant at 6 bars which make it also ideal for the sporty gentlemen. The case height is 14.5mm and the diameter is 43.5mm.
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Let us introduce you to the world of watchmaking and the IWC universe. A few days ago we had the opportunity to visit Schaffhausen City and to dive deep in the IWC world. IWC is a premium brand in the international luxury watch segment, well known for their top-quality products in haute horlogerie. Located in Schaffhausen city more than 1100 employees, including 120 eminently qualified watchmakers, are involved in the development, manufacture and distribution of perfect mechanical masterpieces.
IWC’s historic headquarters with the newly built extensions and the IWC museum
The company has made its name internationally through a passion for innovative solutions and technical inventiveness. As one of the world’s leading premium brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC creates masterpieces of haute horlogerie, which combine engineering and precision with exclusive design. The reputation of the brand from Schaffhausen is founded not least on the fact that its highly qualified employees master every step of the production process behind in-house movements and complications such as the minute repeater, the tourbillon and the perpetual calendar. For the designers and construction specialists at IWC, the claim to excellence, “Probus Scafusia” – “Craftsmanship made in Schaffhausen”, which was first formulated in 1903, is not only an enormous challenge; it is also their great passion.
Every IWC watch is professionally finished by masters of their trade. For they are the individuals whose trained eyes, nimble fingers and precision instruments put together IWC watches from a collection of single parts: each a fascinating showpiece of meticulous workmanship, functionality and design; each an outstanding example of the art of watchmaking at its very best.
Back in 1993, on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, IWC set up an exclusive museum in the attic of its headquarters – by this time a listed building – and became Switzerland’s first watch manufacturer with such a facility. In 2007, IWC trumped its past achievements with a totally newly designed watch museum on the converted ground floor of the main building. In spaces once given over to the manufacture of cases and watch parts, light-flooded rooms and display cases set off the exhibits to their best advantage. Production has been relocated to more spacious premises directly next door, making room for many more exhibits and a multimedia presentation documenting the company’s history.
The new home of IWC watches represents the world of an international luxury brand: together with the objects on display, it creates surroundings that are at once modern yet timeless, luxurious yet functional, and with every convenience the visitor could possibly wish for.
Over 230 carefully selected items bear witness to a manufacturer that started making a name for itself with unusually reliable quality and unmistakable, universally appealing design from the very beginning.
For IWC, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is all about the contribution they make towards improving society and the environment. They believe that embracing their ecological and social commitment will enable them to make a positive contribution to the well-being of our people, our community and our environment, and is ultimately the best way to guarantee their own long-term success. The company’s operations are therefore based on a holistic approach that combines supreme precision and exclusive design while ensuring the highest standards of sustainable industry practice.
IWC’s watch families – the Pilot’s Watches, Portuguese, Ingenieur, Aquatimer, Da Vinci and Portofino – look back on a long tradition. They attest the innovation of the engineers in Schaffhausen through four generations and embrace the broad range of the company’s watchmaking expertise: from robust watches for everyday use to professional sports watches and the complexities of haute horlogerie at its finest. These are joined by watch specialities such as the Grande Complication and the IWC Vintage Collection.
GDM team admits that visiting the IWC headquarters was a lifetime experience.
Learn more about IWC by visiting their official website here.
Originally introduced back in 2012 in rose gold, IWC’s Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Chronograph has been given a makeover for 2015. Now sporting a 46 mm stainless steel case, the design — IWC’s only pilot to show the date and month digitally (via four large numerals) — sees a shiny anthracite dial with Arabic numerals, additional dials for seconds, leap year, 12-hour and 60-minute registers and twin digital date and month displays. As before, the piece is powered by a caliber 89801 automatic movement — with 51 jewels and a 68-hour power reserve — and comes complete with a sapphire crystal screw-down case back that highlights a Spitfire-shaped rotor.
The stainless steel edition of the Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Chronograph is priced at $32,500 USD and is available now from IWC dealers.
Source: HODINKEE/ HYPEBEAST
IWC has just released a special edition of its hallmark pilot watch with the luxe Patrouille Suisse Jubilee Edition. In keeping with the legendary brand’s high-end makes, the 46mm watch comes done up with a stainless steel casing, which houses three sub-dials on a gunmetal face. Executed with large, rugged features to exude performance and masculinity, the watch also finds a 79230-calibre self-winding movement on the inside. A 44-hour power reserve underlines the watch’s boastful presence, as do the special engravings at the caseback. Limited to just 250 models, look for this release at IWC retailers worldwide now.