Lots of pickies and lots of pithy commentary is to be had over at TimeZone where they document their trip to IWC in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. I like IWC’s style and value - I’m not a huge fan of the Portuguese line but everyone seems to be. It’s great to see them close up and personal.

The history of IWC in Schaffhausen begins in 1868, when an American named Florentine Ariosto Jones came to Switzerland with the goal of producing watch movements. In 1880, after a couple of management “issues”, Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel took over, and the company remained in the hands of his family for several generations. The 1970s was a critical time for IWC, as the Swiss watch industry dealt with both the advent of the quartz movement and the skyrocketing price of gold in 1974. Despite these challenges and multiple ownership changes (VDO, LMH, etc.), IWC persevered, and today it is thriving.

2006 TZ Tour, Installment 2, page 1 - TimeZone [TimeZone]

An IWC Aquatimer ended up in Miami Vice - I hope it’s decade accurate! Jamie Foxx wore this one and another limited edition IWC in the film, which I haven’t really seen nor care to.

Miami Vice IWC Watch [ProfessionalWatches]

Nice review of the IWC Aquatimer.

What sent me running to buy this watch was the fact that I was about to sell my 18kt gold vintage cal. 89 to a friend of mine. I knew that there would be a void in my collection without an IWC so the Aquatimer was just a logical choice for me. Prior to getting this watch, I had never seen it in person so I wasn’t sure how well it would look on my 7-inch wrist. Needless to say when I put it on for the first time I was very happy with the way it looked and I could instantly see why so many people loved their Aquatimers so much. It is very impressive looking, and you can tell that it’s built like a submarine.

Check it out here.

This is a limited edition IWC that looks like the rats got to it. Purdy sexy.

Check it out here.

An excellent review of a beautiful watch. Very Steve Zissou.

In terms of functions and technology, the Aquatimer Automatic is virtually identical to the titanium IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000. One of the few differences is its pressure resistance, which is designed to withstand up to 100 bar or the pressure encountered 1000 m below the surface. As a result, the case is only 12.8 mm thick, rather than 14.8 mm. Another distinctive feature is the fact that this one is available exclusively in stainless steel with a blue rubber strap.

Check it out here.