March 28, 2024
IWC “SPECIAL WATCH FOR PILOTS” (1936)

IWC “SPECIAL WATCH FOR PILOTS” (1936)

IWC started focusing on the production of technically advanced watches built specifically for aviation at a very early stage, becoming a true pioneer in this field. Progress made in aviation and navigation had created a growing need for watches that offered maximum reliability under the toughest conditions.
Ernst Jakob Homberger (1869–1955), IWC managing director during the 1930s, had two sons who were so passionate about aviation that they decided to manufacture IWC’s first “special watch for pilots” in 1936. The watch, containing Caliber 83, had a shatterproof crystal, high-contrast hands and numerals, a rotating bezel with an index for recording short periods of time, and an antimagnetic escapement. It was also highly resistant to temperature fluctuations, ranging from –40 degrees Celsius to +40 degrees Celsius.