International Watch Company, or IWC, can trace its origins to American engineer and watchmaker, Florentine Ariosto Jones. He wanted to build watches in Switzerland, within one centralised facility, drawing on the nation’s famed craftsmanship and watchmaking expertise.

Good fortune led to Jones meeting Heinrich Moser, an industrialist, entrepreneur, and watchmaker. Moser had the inspired idea to harness the power of the nearby Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen to create hydroelectricity, proving incredibly useful for powering the equipment required to turn pencil sketches into exquisite life-long timekeeping companions. In 1868, Jones founded his watch factory in Schaffhausen, and IWC has remained in the city ever since.

IWC watches typically feature highly legible displays and are primarily aimed at a male clientele. This is reinforced by the company’s advertising strapline, “Engineered for men” and evidenced by just some of the celebrities that wear them - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bradley Cooper, Ben Stiller, and Ed Sheeran.

For over 150 years, IWC Schaffhausen has remained one of the world’s leading luxury watch brands with a prowess for combining immaculate precision with a breathtaking design flair. Their IWC Portugieser and IWC Pilots Collections, in particular reign supreme with elegant case designs, unique complications, and rare limited editions.