TIME MACHINES 时光之旅

IWC_Savonnette Pocket Watch Pallweber_1886

In the summer of 1884, IWC ushered in the digital era, and the first pocket watches with jumping numerals left the workshops. They were based on the Pallweber system developed by Salzburg-based watchmaker, Josef Pallweber, and showed the hours and minutes in large numerals on rotating discs. Johannes Rauschenbach- Schenk, head of IWC at the time, was fascinated by this modern approach to displaying the time and secured the patents for the handless watches. However, since toothed cogs were responsible for the energy-intensive job of advancing the display discs, the power reserve of the Pallweber pocket watches was relatively limited. Although IWC succeeded in significantly improving the design, the Pallweber pocket watches, of which around 20,000 were produced in Schaffhausen, were a commercial success for only a limited period of time. Production was discontinued in 1890. It was only almost 100 years later, with the advent of quartz watches, that digital time display reappeared.

从琼斯机芯到葛珞斯(Kurt Klaus)所发明的达文西万年历腕表，再到IWC葡萄牙系列Sidérale Scafusia腕表：十款作品深深影响了IWC万国表的历史，并奠定了品牌全球成功的基础。

IWC_Da Vinci Lady Chronograph_ 1988

Probably no other watch has left its mark on the history of IWC like the Da Vinci featuring Kurt Klaus’s perpetual calendar. With the quartz crisis at its height, IWC’s head watchmaker pursued designing a mechanical perpetual calendar. Comprising 82 individual components in a design of ingenious simplicity, the calendar module, combined with a chronograph, made its debut in 1985 in the Da Vinci family in the form of Reference IW3750. The calendar automatically recognises the differing lengths of the months as well as leap years and will require no adjustment until 2100. If the watch has not been worn for some time, all the displays can be adjusted simply by turning the crown, an elegant and unique feature. Apart from its user-friendliness, the calendar’s four-digit year display was another novel feature, while the highly precise moon phase display will deviate from the actual moon cycle by a single day after 122 years.
IWC_Ingenieur_1956

In 1950, IWC launched its first in-house automatic movement. The man behind the development of the 85 calibre was the technical director at the time, Albert Pellaton. The most important feature in the mechanism was the highly efficient automatic winding. Unlike most other similar systems of the time, it used the movement of the rotor in both directions to wind the mainspring. To achieve this, an eccentrically mounted disc transformed the revolutions into oscillating movements on a rocking bar. Two pawls firmly connected to the rocking bar alternately pull on the winding wheel or slide over it. In this way, every movement of the rotor – no matter how small – can be used to increase the tension in the spring. The 85 calibre with Pellaton winding was enthusiastically received by customers and watch industry specialists and subsequently also used in the first Ingenieur, Reference IW666, of 1955. And because an increasing number of electronic devices in the household generated magnetic fields, the Ingenieur also featured a soft-iron case that effectively protected the movement against their influence.
IWC_Aquatimer_1967

The 1960s saw the rise of scuba diving as a popular sport. In response, IWC unveiled its first diver’s watch, the Aquatimer, Reference IW812 AD, at the Basel Watch Show in 1967. Powered by the legendary 8541 calibre, the watch was water-resistant to a depth of 200 metres. Instead of a classic external bezel for setting the dive time, the watch featured a rotating bezel under the glass that was operated using a second crown. The advantage of this design lay in the fact that the bezel was inside the watch and therefore did not impact the water-resistance of the case. The black dial with its large numerals and luminescent hands guaranteed optimum legibility, even at great depths and in conditions of poor visibility. It thus enabled divers to keep constant track of their dive time.
IWC_The Big Pilot Watch_1940

In 2002, inspired by the Pilot’s Watch Calibre 52 T.S.C., IWC launched the Big Pilot’s Watch, Reference IW5002, with an imposing diameter of 46 millimetres, and re-established the design of a mid-spec instrument watch in the luxury watch industry. The timepiece has all the typical design cues of the historic original, for example its matte black dial with a triangular index at “12 o’clock” together with large, luminescent numerals and hands for extra legibility. The big, chunky crown and extra long straps hark back to the early days of flying when pilots still wore quilted flying suits and thick gloves, which otherwise made setting and winding difficult when synchronising watches before each mission. The necessary power was supplied by IWC’s largest automatic movement, the 5011 calibre, with Pellaton winding and a seven-day power reserve. After 168 hours, a specially designed mechanism brings it to a standstill. It means that the watch never runs when torque diminishes in the mainspring as it winds down. The power reserve display at “3 o’clock” keeps the wearer informed about the remaining power reserve.
IWC_Lépine Pocket Watch_1932

PORTOFINO ( 1984) Caliber 9521-16¾’’’ · Hand-wound · 18 ct. yellow gold IWC resumes its tradition of the classic, functional round gold case, with its Portofino range of watches. Ref. 5251, with its outstanding horological features, marks its inception. In 1984, it quickly became the leading model of Portofino family.
IWC_Portofino_1984

PORTOFINO ( 1984) Caliber 9521-16¾’’’ · Hand-wound · 18 ct. yellow gold IWC resumes its tradition of the classic, functional round gold case, with its Portofino range of watches. Ref. 5251, with its outstanding horological features, marks its inception. In 1984, it quickly became the leading model of Portofino family.
IWC_Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon_1998

Probably no other watch has left its mark on the history of IWC like the Da Vinci featuring Kurt Klaus’s perpetual calendar. With the quartz crisis at its height, IWC’s head watchmaker pursued designing a mechanical perpetual calendar. Comprising 82 individual components in a design of ingenious simplicity, the calendar module, combined with a chronograph, made its debut in 1985 in the Da Vinci family in the form of Reference IW3750. The calendar automatically recognises the differing lengths of the months as well as leap years and will require no adjustment until 2100. If the watch has not been worn for some time, all the displays can be adjusted simply by turning the crown, an elegant and unique feature. Apart from its user-friendliness, the calendar’s four-digit year display was another novel feature, while the highly precise moon phase display will deviate from the actual moon cycle by a single day after 122 years.
IWC_Savonnette Pocket Watch Pallweber_1886

In the summer of 1884, IWC ushered in the digital era, and the first pocket watches with jumping numerals left the workshops. They were based on the Pallweber system developed by Salzburg-based watchmaker, Josef Pallweber, and showed the hours and minutes in large numerals on rotating discs. Johannes Rauschenbach- Schenk, head of IWC at the time, was fascinated by this modern approach to displaying the time and secured the patents for the handless watches. However, since toothed cogs were responsible for the energy-intensive job of advancing the display discs, the power reserve of the Pallweber pocket watches was relatively limited. Although IWC succeeded in significantly improving the design, the Pallweber pocket watches, of which around 20,000 were produced in Schaffhausen, were a commercial success for only a limited period of time. Production was discontinued in 1890. It was only almost 100 years later, with the advent of quartz watches, that digital time display reappeared.
IWC_Savonette Pocket Watch Calibre Jones_1874

First-class pocket watch movements of consistent quality for the US market, made in Switzerland with a high level of industrialisation: it was with this visionary idea in mind that Florentine Ariosto Jones founded the International Watch Company in 1868. The first Jones calibres were produced around 1870. They were based on a platform structure and assigned to a specific “pattern”, the highest quality level represented by “Pattern H”. Unlike conventional Swiss movements of the time, they were not fitted with finger bridges, but with three-quarter plates. This type of construction, widely adopted in the USA, gave them greater stability and simplified the production of small parts. Other notable features included the wolf’s tooth winding on the cogs and the elaborate finishing on the plates and bridges. The oscillations of the balance in all these calibres were regulated using an elongated index, also known later as the “F. A. Jones arrow”.
IWC_The Portugieser Wristwatch_1954

PORTUGIESER In 1939, two businessmen from Portugal placed an order with IWC for a series of large wristwatches that were to run as precisely as a marine chronometer. The captains and officers of the Portuguese merchant navy wanted a “seriously big watch” to wear on their wrists. Schaffhausen’s design engineers decided to put the men’s pocket watch 74 calibre into a wristwatch case. The hunter movement was particularly well-suited for this purpose because the small seconds was at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the crown. On top of that, it had an extremely accurate rate. The first Portugieser, Reference IW325, had a case diameter of 41.5 millimetres and far exceeded the dimensions of conventional wristwatches of the era. The railway-track-style chapter ring, the Arabic numerals and the slender feuille hands defined the timeless elegance of the IWC Portugieser.

琼斯机芯
怀表机芯在瑞士以高度工业化方式生产，并向美国市场供应最高级别且稳定的机芯品质：这是富有远见的佛罗伦汀·阿里奥斯托·琼斯（Ariosto Jones）1868年创立万国表公司（International Watch Company）的初衷。首枚琼斯机芯于1870年诞生。它遵循特定的流程，并被归类到特殊的“Pattern”类别，其中“Pattern H”表示拥有最高的质量水准。与当时瑞士普遍的情况不同，它不使用指桥版，而是装配四分之三背板。这种在美国被广泛应用的组装方式加强了稳定性，并且允许以较大规模方式生产细小零件。其他的特别之处，还包括狼牙型齿轮及精湛修饰的背板及桥板。所有机芯，都可利用加长型微调针——即后来被称为“F. A.琼斯之箭”——调整平衡摆轮的振幅。

波威柏（PALLWEBER）怀表
在1884年夏季，IWC万国表开启了数字表的时代：第一只跳时数字怀表诞生。它以萨尔茨堡（Salzburg）制表师约瑟夫·波威柏（Josef Pallweber）所研发的波威柏(Pallweber)系统为基础，在旋转盘上以大型数字来指示小时及分钟。当时IWC万国表的负责人约翰尼斯·劳申巴赫-申克（Johannes Rauschen-bach-Schenk）十分着迷于这种现代感的时间显示，并为无指针表做了专利保护。然而，波威柏(Pallweber)怀表的动力储备相对较低，主要因为具有凹槽的齿轮被强制正向切换指示盘。尽管IWC万国表最大限度地改进了此设计，但在沙夫豪森制造的大约2万枚波威柏(Pallweber)怀表只在当时短时间内获得了成功，而后大约在1890年左右停产。近百年后，数字时间显示随着石英表的到来而回归。

飞行员特别版腕表
当总裁厄恩斯特·雅各布·鸿伯格（Ernst Jakob Homberger）于1936年推出飞行员特别腕表（型号：IW436）时，飞行还是很新颖的领域，这一灵感来自于他的两个热衷飞行的儿子汉斯·厄恩斯特（Hans Ernst）和鲁道夫（Rudolf）。在航空的开创时代，大多数飞行员仍旧使用怀表。一枚特别为飞行员设计的腕表极具创新意义。适用于驾驶舱的时计由带有防磁擒纵系统的83型机芯驱动。腕表在温度零下40度和40度之间运作可靠，这对于敞开式或未安装暖气的驾驶舱极为重要。飞行时间可藉由一个旋转表圈做调整。黑色表盘及大型发光数字加上发光指针在视觉上十分醒目。清晰的仪表盘风格表盘设计不仅提升了视线不佳时的可读性，甚至对今日沙夫豪森飞行员腕表的设计都有着深远的影响。

IWC葡萄牙系列
两位葡萄牙的贸易商在1939年向IWC万国表订购了一系列与航海计时仪器同样精确的大型腕表。葡萄牙商船队的船长和船员都想在腕上配带这样一个“真正的大型腕表”。沙夫豪森的腕表设计师在腕表表壳中加入男装怀表74型机芯。猎人式怀表机芯因它的小秒针与表冠呈90度角而特别合适。除此之外，它还拥有出色的精准度。首枚IWC葡萄牙系列腕表（型号：IW325），搭载直径41.5毫米的表壳，远超过当时流行的腕表尺寸。环绕式铁轨式分钟圈、阿拉伯数字再加上纤细的叶形指针，突显出IWC葡萄牙系列腕表的隽永优雅风格。

85型机芯和工程师腕表
1950年，IWC万国表推出首款自制自动机芯。85型机芯的研发功臣为当时的技术总监阿尔伯特·比勒顿（Albert Pellaton）。这款机芯最大的特点为高效自动上链功能。与当时的大多数系统不同，它利用摆陀的双向摆动来拉动主发条。而为此安装的偏心显示盘，将旋转的振动齿轮转换成摇动柱的摆荡动作。两个安装在摇动柱上的棘爪交替地拉动经过上链轮或是滑过上链轮。以这种方式，摆陀的任何微小运动都可以转换成弹簧的张力。搭载比勒顿上链系统的85型机芯受到腕表领域专家的好评，因此也被使用在首枚于1955年推出的工程师腕表（型号：IW666）中。由于有越来越多的科技装置在家庭环境中产生磁场，工程师腕表拥有软铁内壳，有效保护机芯不受磁场效应影响。

海洋时计
水肺潜水在二十世纪六十年代，渐兴为广受欢迎的大众运动。IWC万国表因此于1967年，在巴塞尔钟表展览会上，展示了其首款潜水员腕表——海洋时计（型号：IW812 AD）。搭配具有传奇色彩的8541型自动机芯，防水可达深度200米。它装载了一个置于表镜下的旋转表圈，可通过第二个表冠直接操作，而非使用传统的外表圈调整潜水时间。这一设计的优点还在于内置表圈不会影响表的防水性能。黑色表盘加上荧光大型数字和指针，即使在深海中或能见度低的情况下依然能够保证极佳的可读性。这样潜水员能够完全掌控潜水时间。

IWC万国表保时捷合作设计钛金属计时腕表
钛金属韧性极强且重量比钢材要少三分之一。它拥有良好的亲肤性和独特的灰色哑光表面。但这种金属质地坚硬，难以加工。所以钛金属长时间被认为不适合做表壳。即便如此，IWC万国表仍然面对挑战，与航天工业专家，例如法国航天制造公司（Aérospatiale），密切交流关于钛金属加工方面的知识。表厂在1980年完成IWC万国表保时捷设计钛金属计时腕表（型号：IW3700），它成为世界首款钛金属表壳腕表。两年后，这一令人赞叹的材质也被装载到防水深达200巴的海洋2000 潜水员腕表中。它同样是由德国工业设计师费迪南德A.保时捷（Ferdinand A. Porsche）设计。近年来IWC万国表继续不断创新，陆续推出创新表壳材质，例如黑陶瓷等，由此成为瑞士制表界的先锋。

达文西万年历腕表
在IWC万国表的历史中，也许没有哪只腕表能超越由葛珞斯（Kurt Klaus）所设计的达文西万年历腕表。当时的首席制表师在石英危机最严重时，提出了设计机械万年历的构想。他的日历装置由82个零件组成，设计风格精巧简约，组合计时码表，于1985年在达文西系列的发表会上展出（型号：IW3750）。日历装置能够自动识别不同的月份长度与平、闰年，2100年以前皆无需手动调整。如果腕表没有被佩戴一段时间，表内的所有显示也可经由表冠获得简单方便地设置，这可谓是一项优雅而别致的特色。除了使用便利，四位数年份显示也令人赞叹，高精度的月相盈亏显示使其在122年后才会累积1天月球的实际周期误差。

大型飞行员腕表
受到飞行员腕表机芯（52 T. S. C.型）的启发，IWC万国表于2002年推出了具有46毫米直径的大型飞行员腕表（型号：IW5002），由此将搭载中等装置的仪表盘风格设计腕表再次带入奢华腕表行列。此款腕表揉合了复古设计元素，例如哑光黑色表盘、12点钟处箭头形指标，覆有夜光材质涂层的大型数字和指针还可确保极佳的读时性。硕大且厚实的表冠以及加长型表带令人联想到最初的航空年代。当时的飞行员还穿着棉絮衬垫的飞行员连体服以及厚手套，在执行任务前同步腕表时，十分不方便对腕表进行设置与上链。5011型机芯搭载比勒顿上链系统以及7日动力储备，为IWC万国表最大的自动机芯提供所需的动力。一个特殊的机制使其在168小时之后进入完全静止状态。这意味着当主发条矩力消失的时候，腕表绝不会继续走时。3点钟的位置显示动力储备，告知配戴者剩余动力。

IWC葡萄牙系列SIDÉRALE SCAFUSIA腕表
IWC葡萄牙系列Sidérale Scafusia腕表（型号：IW5041）是IWC万国表有史以来最精密复杂的一款机械腕表。工程师耗费十年时间，不断致力于研发和设计此款时计，保留其表盘经典IWC葡萄牙系列的风格。专利恒定动力陀飞轮，将擒纵装置从轮系的直接动力传送中脱离。通过向平衡摆轮提供绝对均匀的力冲量，可实现振幅的恒定而达成超高的精准度。除了显示太阳时之外，此款腕表还显示每天偏离正常时间约4分钟的恒星时。且经常用于天文学领域。腕表背面的星图展示客户指定地点上方星空在一年中的运行。此外，日出和日落显示为整体显示功能锦上添花，并可对夏令时与冬令时予以考量。

沙夫豪森IWC万国表

瑞士制表商沙夫豪森IWC万国表专注技术与创新，自1868年以来不断创制具有持久价值的腕表。公司热切追求创新方案和独创技术，在国际上已赢得广泛赞誉。作为专业奢华腕表领域的世界领先品牌之一，IWC万国表糅合精准无比的性能和独一无二的设计，打造体现高级制表艺术最高境界的典范之作。作为一家具有环保意识和社会责任感的公司，IWC万国表积极推动可持续性生产，在全球范围内支持儿童和青少年组织的工作，并与环境保护机构保持着密切合作关系。