IWC celebrates 150th anniversary with limited-edition timepieces

This year marks the 150th anniversary of IWC Schaffhausen and the luxury watchmaker is certainly in the spirit of celebration.

To celebrate the occasion, a collection of 27 limited-edition timepieces will be unveiled at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH).

Unlike the maison’s usual practice which highlights one specific product family each year at the fair, this year, the collection features novelties from a variety of families including the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s and Da Vinci.

The series includes highly complicated pieces such as the Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon as well as reinterpretations of archival pieces such as the timepiece inspired by the Pallweber pocket watch.

The Pallweber Edition 150 Years wristwatch is a rare IWC reference that features digital hours and minute display as shown on the Pallweber pocket watch circa 1884. The timepiece is, in fact, IWC’s first wristwatch to feature jumping numerals in a digital display. The watch comes in a 45mm-diameter red gold case, with lacquer-finished white dial and a blued seconds hand. Limited to 250 pieces, the watch retails for HK$290,000.

Other than looking through the archives for inspiration, IWC also incorporates groundbreaking innovations in its 2018 SIHH offerings. One fine example is the Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon 150 Year Edition. The piece comes with a 45mm-diametre platinum case. It is priced at HK$2 million, limited to 15 pieces only. It’s the first IWC watch to combine a constant-force tourbillon with a single moon phase display. The new calibre 94805 boasts a four-day power reserve.