IWC Schaffhausen
WOMEN’S WATCHES - A TRADITION FROM SCHAFFHAUSEN
Many watch lovers around the world may perceive IWC as a male oriented brand. But fact is that the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer has been offering beautiful watches for women throughout its history. IWC founder F.A. Jones started constructing the first prototypes for women’s pocket watches as early as the mid-1870s, and their production continued into the decades thereafter. Later, during the 1980s, women’s watches formed an integral part of the Da Vinci watch family. More recently, IWC released midsize watches in its Portofino and Pilot’s Watches families, which are particularly attractive to women thanks to their reduced case diameters. In 2017, the brand introduced its new Da Vinci collection. With the Da Vinci Automatic 36 and the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36, IWC now continues the tradition of women’s watches in this watch family.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CURRENT COLLECTION
Unforgotten women’s watches
Watches developed primarily for women have been a long-standing tradition in the 150-year-long history of IWC Schaffhausen. The manufacturer has created ladies’ models regularly since the late 1870s. Artfully decorated timepieces, many of them with diamonds and worn more often as a piece of jewellery than as a time indicator, were an important part of IWC’s product portfolio, especially during the 20s, 50s, 70s and 80s. Unforgotten is the iconic Da Vinci Lady Chronograph, which was first launched in 1988 as Reference 3735. Over the years, it was presented in different versions. A particularly nice edition of this timepiece was the Reference 8436 in 1995 which featured a yellow gold case and a diamond-set bezel. The Da Vinci Lady Chronograph stands out to this day as one of the most successful ladies’ watches ever manufactured in Schaffhausen.
Beauty in smaller size
2014 saw the introduction of a midsize collection in the Portofino watch family. The Portofino Automatic 37 (Ref. 4581) and the Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 (Ref. 4590) are particularly well suited for women – the latter featuring a stunning moon phase complication. Available in a variety of materials such as 18-carat 5N gold or stainless steel, with or without diamonds, and with alligator leather straps from Santoni in fashionable colours, IWC Schaffhausen has the perfect women's watch for every occasion. In 2016, IWC introduced midsize watches in its Pilot’s Watches collection. The Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 (Ref. 3240) is available in different styles, and features all of the typical design cues of IWC’s iconic Pilot’s Watches – albeit in a slightly smaller size.
The tradition lives on in the Da Vinci
The Da Vinci family has historically been a platform for IWC’s engineers to experiment with technical innovations, but it has also stood out for its avant-garde design and rich history of women’s watches. To continue this tradition, the new Da Vinci collection, launched in 2017, contains two models developed especially for women: the Da Vinci Automatic 36 (Ref. 4583) and the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase (Ref. 4593). The latter holds a special aesthetic appeal due to its moon phase display, which is a popular complication with women. A variety of materials, dial colours, and leather straps ensure that every woman will find their perfect timepiece. All women’s models in the Da Vinci line feature an engraving of the “Flower of Life” on the case back. Leonardo da Vinci drew this geometrical figure several times on his quest to uncover a universal principle to capture the essence of pure beauty – and what motive would be better suited to a ladies’ watch?