IWC Schaffhausen launches Jubilee collection to mark its 150th anniversary

Over at IWC Schaffhausen, the mood was celebratory. 

This year marks the brand’s 150th anniversary, which it is honouring with a special Jubilee collection. 

The collection is made up of 27 new limited-edition timepieces, 24 of which are from the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watch and Da Vinci families. On offer is a diverse range of timepieces, from the technically-advanced to the simple but elegant – giving a note of truth to the old saying, “there’s something for everyone”. 

A few strategic design codes are used to unify the watches under one collection. Each features a 12-layered lacquer dial in either white or blue, paired with contrasting blued or rhodium-coated hands, as well as the insignia “150 Years”. Each comes paired with a black Santoni alligator leather strap. 

“I would say that the biggest selling point is it’s a completely new aesthetic,” says Christian Knoop, creative director of IWC Schaffhausen. “It’s a capsule collection [with] an aesthetic that we don’t have in standard watches. It’s a unique opportunity to buy something which will then not be 

available any more.” 

The highlight of the Jubilee collection is the timepiece directly inspired by an archive piece: the Pallweber pocket watches from 1884. 

The watch is named after Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber, who came up with the highly unusual pocket watch with digital hour and minute display. While initially a commercial success, its popularity waned after a few years – but now it’s back as the IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years”. 

The new timepiece comes in wristwatch form and marks the first time IWC has featured a jumping numeral module on a wristwatch. Aesthetics-wise, it remains faithful to the original. Nestled inside the case is a new 94200 calibre, the result of five years of research and development. 

“This is not a normal movement – it’s a very special movement [with] three patents pending for different construction details,” Knoop says. 

“Energy management was one of the key challenges,” he continues. “We resolved this with three independent gear trains and three independent main springs with a mechanism to really regulate this and to bring it together.”