TIME PIECES

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about 

IWC watches

1. IWC was founded by an American

IWC is a Swiss watch company but it was actually founded by an American. Of course, the name can be a little revealing, but the fact that Americans would create watch companies in Switzerland at this time was very unusual, if not non-existent.

IWCs watches are indeed made in Switzerland, however, the idea of the company didn’t come from a Swiss, as most of the other watch companies did.

2. IWC was founded by Florentine Ariosto Jones

Florentine Ariosto Jones was from Boston and was an American engineer and watchmaker. He traveled all the way to Switzerland in 1868 in order to put up his own watch company. He already had the name in place: “International Watch Co.” 

With him, he brought his knowledge of American production techniques and aimed to combine this with the tradition of Swiss watchmaking.

The goal was to manufacture movements and watch parts for the American market, and it was clear that his goal was to go international all along, considering the company’s name.

3. IWC was founded in 1868

The IWC brand is long and rich and has a great heritage which adds to the appeal of the watches today.

4. IWC started in in Schaffhausen

Most watch companies in Switzerland started in Geneva or the surrounding areas, but not IWC. In fact, IWC is the only Swiss watchmaker located in the eastern region of Switzerland.

Instead, Jones decided to put up his factory in the town of Schaffhausen. This was a long distance away from the watchmaking districts in Switzerland. 

The reasons for this are several. First and foremost, Schaffhausen had modern factory facilities and was close to the Rhine, which allowed him to power the machines in his factory through a hydropower plant. Most importantly, though, was that the French-speaking areas of Switzerland were resistant to Jones’ idea of an international watch company in fear that their companies and heritage would be threatened by American industrial processes. As such, he set up his company in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

5. IWC doesn’t make watches for telling the time

Of course, for a watch company, this may seem odd, but the American President of IWC, Edouard D’Arbaumont actually said in a 2016 interview that  “We don’t think anybody is buying our watches to tell time. It’s all about the DNA, the history of our product, and also what is behind our watches. We have to tell stories, like in the film industry.”

As such, IWCs watches are more about the exclusivity and sense of occasion they bring to the wearer, and while watches do tell the time, this makes perfect sense for all luxury watches, which many times are worn as a piece of jewelry, craftsmanship, and history.

6. The IWC Portuguese was made for two Portuguese businessmen

The iconic Portugeiser watch from IWC was made for two Portuguese businessmen, and this can be seen in the name of the watch.

However, the first IWC Portuguese watch was delivered to a watch wholesaler in Odessa, Ukraine on February 22, 1939.

The businessmen who ordered the watch wanted a timepiece that would have the accuracy of marine chronometers.

In 1942, though, the first Portuguese watch would come to Portugal.

7. IWC stands for International Watch Co

This reflected Jones’s plan to sell his watches internationally.

8. Most of IWC’s cases are made in-house

Back in the day, IWC made all of its watch cases in-house, but now, parts o the process has been outsourced due to the high demand for the watches, and most likely also to decrease production costs.

9. More than 40% of the movements used in 2005 were in-house

IWC doesn’t only make in-house movements but also purchases movements from ETA/Valjoux.

10. IWC doesn’t reveal their total production

Like most luxury watch companies, IWC doesn’t reveal the total production. Before it was acquired by Richmond, the company did, and the numbers that IWC makes are relatively low due to it being an exclusive luxury watch brand.

With the increased demand, many parts of the process are done through mass production, but there are still many parts of the watchmaking process which is made by hand, such as finishing and assembly.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking