IWC Schaffhausen's story begins with an unusual start for Swiss watchmaking: in 1868, with the vision of an American. Boston-born engineer and watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones, only 27 years old at the time, traveled to Switzerland with a dream of combining modern American industrial production methods with Swiss craftsmanship. Unlike the traditional workshops of Geneva or the Vallée de Joux, he chose the German-speaking town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, where the Rhine River's hydroelectric power was perfect for machine-driven manufacture. The International Watch Company, IWC, was born, and the company still produces watches at the same address, Baumgartenstrasse 15, today.
In the late 19th century IWC built its reputation on pocket watch movements; the Jones calibre in particular met the strict accuracy requirements of American railroads. In 1885, IWC produced one of the first digital-display pocket watches using the Pallweber system, establishing its engineering-led identity early on. In 1936, IWC entered aviation with its first Special Pilot's Watch: an antimagnetic balance spring, shatterproof crystal, and a large crown usable with gloves laid the foundation for every pilot's watch that followed.
In 1939, two Portuguese merchants commissioned what would become one of IWC's most iconic models: the Portugieser (Portuguese). Its 41.5 mm case, unusually large for its era, and clean dial powered by a pocket watch calibre made it the forerunner of the modern oversized wristwatch. In 1948, IWC produced the Mark 11 navigator's watch for the British Royal Air Force, setting the standard for pilot's watches with its high antimagnetic protection and absolute legibility. The Mark series continues today through to the Mark XX.
The Ingenieur, launched in 1955, was an antimagnetic sports watch for engineers and scientists; in 1976, Gérald Genta redesigned it into the legendary SL reference with its iconic five-screw bezel. In 1967, IWC released the Aquatimer for professional divers, followed by the elegant Da Vinci line in 1969. In 1985, master watchmaker Kurt Klaus reinvented the mechanical perpetual calendar so it could be set with a single crown, one of the great milestones of modern complicated watchmaking.
In 2002, IWC introduced the Big Pilot reference 5002: a 46.2 mm watch with seven-day power reserve, inspired by the 1940s B-Uhr observation watches. The Big Pilot became IWC's signature modern model, embodying the brand's aviation heritage in a single piece. The Portofino line, by contrast, offers a slimmer and more classical alternative for elegant city life. Today IWC is one of the Richemont group's strongest brands, and its in-house calibre families (notably the 52000 and 82000 series) preserve its technical independence.
Bedesten Watches has sold IWC Schaffhausen watches in Istanbul since 1999. Visit our Suadiye store for selected Big Pilot, Portugieser, Ingenieur, Portofino, and Aquatimer references; for current listings, ask for the written inspection record and applicable guarantee terms.
