Visit IWC’s Broadest Retrospective Exhibition in Southeast Asia

Just as the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition comes to a close on 13 October, watch fans are in for yet another horological treat. In partnership with Sincere Fine Watches, IWC Schaffhausen is holding a retrospective exhibition here in Singapore at the Level 1 Main Atrium of Takashimaya Shopping Centre.

Happening from 14 – 27 October, the Inside IWC History Exhibition will feature close to 20 archived references flown in from the IWC Museum in Schaffhausen. These selected vintage timepieces are a great way to discover the engineering and storytelling expertise of the Swiss watch manufacture as they illustrate the evolution of its three most successful lines – Pilot’s Watches, Portugieser and Portofino.

Each historical watch has its own story, but some highlights to look out for include the Pilot’s Wristwatch Mark 11 from 1948. IWC designed it for pilots of the Royal Air Force according to extremely strict technical specifications. The watch is made with an anti-magnetic, soft-iron inner case to shield the movement from the magnetic fields emitted by instruments in the cockpit.

Another legendary timepiece is the Portugieser Ref. 325 from 1942, which was created to satiate Portuguese ship captains’ demand for large wristwatches that were as precise as pocket watches.

You’ll also want to get up close with the Portofino Hand Wound Moonphase Ref. 5251. Created in 1984, it was the only wristwatch to offer a pocket watch movement and a moonphase display. It was a combination of simplicity and bold extravagance that led to it being named Portofino after the small but glamorous Italian fishing village.

Several ladies timepieces will be on display as well. Some, like the Savonnette Lady’s Pocket Watch from 1909, are travelling out of Switzerland for the first time. After journeying through the past with the historical watches, visitors can check out IWC’s current collection of haute horologie, which will also be on show at the exhibition.

All photos are courtesy of  IWC Schaffhausen