Watches

IWC’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition is coming to Singapore this May

A timeless tale

19.04.2018

By Wei Yeen Loh

IWC’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition is coming to Singapore this May

Back in 1868, a young and determined watchmaker from Boston traversed across the Atlantic to Switzerland from his hometown in Boston with an ambitious vision in mind: To set up the International Watch Company by the bank of the glorious Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen. For a 27-year old, Florentine Ariosto Jones (F.A. Jones) had a keen entrepreneurial eye that proved to be useful in tandem with his watchmaking skills. He established an industrialized manufacturing infrastructure by combining the expertise of Swiss craftsmen with American machine technology—all for the production of more than 10,000 first-class mechanical movements per year.

As IWC Schaffhausen celebrates its grand 150th year this 2018, the prestigious company is bringing a retrospective exhibition to Singapore this May at the first-level atrium of ION Orchard. Guests can look forward to taking a step back in time into the history of the brand, delving into F.A. Jones’ adventurous quest mapped with engineering excellence.

“For 150 years, IWC has remained true to the legacy of its founder F.A. Jones and made many lasting impressions from both an artistic and a technical perspective in the world of fine watchmaking,” says Stanislas Rambaud, Managing Director of IWC South East Asia. “Looking back, for us, is just as important as looking forward. The juxtaposition of IWC’s most iconic historical creations against the new Jubilee collection makes for a compelling story and, surely, there’s no better way to showcase the company’s heritage than that.”

Running from 1 – 13 May, the exhibition will showcase 10 of the most iconic watches ever designed and created by the company. A few showstoppers that have traveled all the way from IWC’s storied archives in Schaffhausen include the legendary Special Watch for Pilots Ref. 436 (1936), the Yacht Club Automatic Ref. 811 (1967) — most recognised as the first IWC watch to be adorned with a blue dial, and the Lepine Pallweber III pocket watch (1886) that sported breakthrough jumping numerals. Worth mentioning are the stunners from IWC’s Jubilee collection that was unveiled at the recent SIHH this January—the diamond encrusted Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 Edition “150 Years” along with the Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “150 Years”.

Sneak a peek at a few of the pieces that will be on display at the exhibition:

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The IWC 150th Anniversary Exhibition will run from 1 – 13 May 2018 at Level 1 Atrium, ION Orchard in Singapore.

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