Nearly 160 years ago, a watch company was born in Boston that would ultimately grow to be a respected global brand. Watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones saw his peers head for the west coast, and he went east. His goal was to combine America's newfound manufacturing abilities with the time-honored Swiss craftsmanship. This cross-Atlantic collaboration would become known as the International Watch Company.

The 1870s was a time for pocket watches, and the first offering from Jones was the Jones Calibre. It's believed that some 26-thousand Jones Calibre watches were made and were known by the elongated index pointer, which became known as the "Jones Arrow."

In the 1880s, IWC developed the first pocket watches with a digital display, known as the pallweber system. This was shortly after Johannes Rauschenbach-Vogel, and subsequently his son, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk, had taken over IWC.

After the turn of the century, Ernst Jakob Homberger would take over the management of IWC on behalf of Rauschenbach's heirs. The burgeoning airline industry was itching for a watch just for pilots, and 1936 brought the first IWC timepiece made for pilots. These watches were so popular, two Portuguese importers commissioned IWC for designs that would ultimately become the popular IWC Portugieser.

Like many industries, the watch industry boomed post WWII. Men were returning from war and headed to work. Modern conveniences were popping up all over, including a new invention from IWC that would self-wind your watch and keep it running for 7 days. IWC technical direction Albert Pellaton. Aptly named the Pellaton System, the winding wheel is pulled on two ends by pawls, allowing for a power reserve of up to seven days. An impressive accomplishment both then and now.

Swiss manufacturers were hit with an event called The Quartz Crisis in the 1970s and 80. Mechanical watches were being seen as obsolete and expensive, pushing many watchmakers to change their core values. IWC, on the other hand, chose to focus on what they do best: technical excellence. As others were scrambling to combat a flood of lower priced watches, IWC stood firm and brought things like titanium cases and perpetual calendars to the marketplace.

Change has come in many forms at IWC, both within the company and without. Wars have come and gone, technology has been invented creating wholesale change in how watches are made, and new leaders took the helm at the company. But throughout it all, IWC has stood firm in their belief that craftsmanship and technological excellence would win the day. 160 years later, IWC still reigns as one of the leading watch manufacturers in the industry.

We'd love to introduce you to the latest IWC styles and advancements! Visit us at Shreve & Co. in Palo Alto and speak to one of our in-house watch experts.