IWC

Notably the first and still only Swiss watch firm founded by an American (New England watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones), the International Watch Company, abbreviated IWC, is also one of the few watchmaking houses headquartered in Schaffhausen, in Switzerland’s northeastern, German-speaking region, rather than in the country’s western, French-speaking regions. Originally a maker of ornate pocket watches, IWC is most famous today for its family of aviation watches, like the Big Pilot’s watch, first worn by Luftwaffe pilots during World War II; the Spitfire series, based on the Mark 11 worn by British RAF pilots in the 1950s; and the Top Gun collection, made in cooperation with the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School. IWC has been a pioneer in materials like titanium and high-tech ceramic and is also well known by enthusiasts for models like the dressy Portugieser, the motorsport-inspired Ingenieur, and the Aquatimer range of dive watches. The Top Gun pilots’ models are where IWC has been the most bold in its use of new materials, such as the proprietary Ceratanium alloy as well as ceramics in difficult-to-execute colors like white and a “Mojave Desert” sand tone.

Founded: 1868

Headquarters: Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Ownership: Richemont Group

Notable models: Big Pilot’s Watch, Portugieser, Portofino, Aquatimer

Did you know: IWC founder Florentine Ariosto Jones served in the 13th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War