IWC Watches
A Brief History And Current Models
With the beginning foundation starting in 1868 by Florentine Ariosto Jones, the IWC (International Watch Company) was born with the idea of combining Swiss craftsmanship with the US modern technology for watches in the American market. With humble beginnings of renting factories until there was enough equity in the company to build their own, in 1875 196 people began work at the very first IWC owned factory that accommodated 300 workplaces.
With the advancement of introducing electricity into the factories in 1888, the world of IWC factories had begun to change. The many involvements that were the beginning for social institutions for local organizations, E.J. Homberger extended living quarters for factory employees as well as setting up funds for widows and orphans. 1949 brought on the Watch Company Welfare Foundation.
The 1970’s brought on much advancement in the watch industry, many which IWC were careful to avoid investing heavily in to avoid unsuccessful ventures further down the road. With 1973 bringing on one of IWC’s most successful years in the post-war period, women’s watches with mechanical movements had been introduced.
In 1974 with the market change of the price of gold jumping enormously and during that same time the value of the dollar as compared to the Swiss currency dropped to almost 40%, the current market for watch manufacturing was in trouble. With Japan flooding the market with cheap quartz watches, the cost of watch imports rose to well over 250%, driving a substantial change to the IWC plan if they were to remain successful. High-quality pocket watches were devised as well as revamping the company’s case and manufacturing facilities in order to remain competitive in the current market.
IWC includes many ideal watches that are not only unique in design and manufactured with the utmost care, but have been acclaimed as using modern movements supplied by the ETA and heavily modified by the IWC. With such precision, they typically loose or gain approximately 4 seconds per day, which is common practice by many high-end watch companies.
Portuguese watches are an IWC classic that has been built on the disciplines of the company and the beginnings of the wristwatch in the early 20th century. Starting with 2 Portuguese businessmen who desired not only an accurate wristwatch but also one that is elegant and classically beautiful no matter how large it may be.
A more modernized timepiece is the Aquatimer watch collection. Combining great engineering with substantial technical fashion, these watches are made with steel and titanium as well as stability of a dive watch. With exceptional water resistance, powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, these timepieces are sure to bring durability and precision to anyone.
When looking for a collection of timepieces from IWC that are classic and elegant with only modest features, the Portofino collection is right for you. With the classic dial presentation in stainless steel or 18K rose gold, these watches have self-winding movements carefully adjusted accordingly. These highly polished watches boast smooth features ideal for formal wear or even casual dress no matter what the occasion.
