On Thursday, 11 April 1985, the Basel Watch and Jewellery Show saw the unveiling of a watchmaking sensation. At a time when only a handful of devotees and distinguished collectors believed in the qualities of a mechanical wristwatch and the mass markets favoured the flood of low-cost quartz watches, IWC launched a timepiece that fully embraced classical watchmaking and all its complicated challenges: the Da Vinci Ref. 3750.
Jarrod Gill is an enthusiastic collector of contemporary IWC watches and a frequent contributor to forum discussions. In this interview he tells about his travels, how his interest in IWC was born, how his collection has grown and where it might be heading.
In 10 years, Bill Barker has grown to love both IWC watches and also his many get-togethers with fellow collectors. In this interview, we learn about Bill and his special passions.
I’m still on a relentless pursuit of collecting five great models from each of IWC’s product lines.
I’ve cast my lot for Ingenieur, Portuguieser, Pilot and Aquatimer models, so now I need to turn to the Da Vinci models.
Argiris, who is from Greece, is a contributor to the IWC Collectors’ Forum and a friend of many IWC collectors throughout the world. In this interview he tells about himself and his interests.
Twenty-five years ago, when I first noticed IWC’s Pilot’s watches, it was love at first sight. Here was a precious watch –a fine movement—in a practical case with a practical dial. I was enamored with the anti-preciousness of the dial: clear, legible, and with a flat black base with bright Arabic numerals. Mechanical watches have a heritage and pilot’s watches have a special place within that tradition.
Numerous special editions of IWC’s legendary Pilot’s Watches have been sold, with part of the proceeds going to the Antoine De Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation and its partner organizations.
