====== IWC calibres ======

{{wst>author|[[Foskett, Stephen|Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}

[[IWC]] produces many [[watch movement]]s or "calibres", from the 19th century through the present.

===== Early History =====
IWC's first movement was the so-called [[IWC Jones calibre|Jones calibre]], named for the company founder. It was technically advanced for the 19th century, with a [[compensating balance]], [[Breguet spring]], and elongated regulation index. Soon the company introduced a smaller [[IWC 64|Cal. 64]] for use in ladies watches as well as early wrist watches. In [[1915]], IWC introduced its first wristwatch-specific movements, [[IWC 72|Cal. 75 and 76]].

In [[1939]], IWC created a series of oversized "[[IWC Portugieser|Portugieser]]" watches using their [[IWC 74|Cal. 74]] pocket watch movement. The company created another oversized watch around [[IWC 52|Cal. 52 T.S.C.]], the [[IWC Pilot's Watch|"Big" Pilot's Watch]]. Legendary engineer [[Albert Pellaton]] began contributing to the IWC legend in [[1946]] with the production of his [[IWC 89|Cal. 89]], used in the Mark 11 Pilot's Watch from [[1948]].

In [[1950]], IWC introduced its first automatic movement, [[IWC 81|Cal. 81]]. This featured Pellaton's namesake winding system, which used levers rather than oscillating gears for greater torque. This movement's successors would remain in production through the company's golden age, ceasing in [[1974]].

===== Rebirth of the Manufacture =====
Like most Swiss manufacturers, IWC was hard-hit by the advent of quartz technology. In the 1980s, however, veteran engineer and Pellaton protege [[Kurt Klaus]] proposed that the company develop a complicated mechanical movement as a showcase piece. Klaus' novel [[perpetual calendar]] system appeared in [[1985]]'s [[IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar|Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar]], launching the company and the entire Swiss watch industry on a new steadier course. This was followed by a [[grand complication]], the appropriately-named [[1990]] [[IWC Grande Complication|Grande Complication, Ref. 3770]] with [[IWC 79091|Cal. 79091]] which remains in production to this day.

IWC still used proven designs and [[ebauche]]s for their movements, however. Like Klaus' [[IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar|Perpetual]], the [[IWC Grande Complication|Grande Complication]] was modular, pairing IWC's revolutionary technology with the common [[Valjoux 7750]] automatic chronograph movement. IWC would produce [[IWC 7900|an entire family of movements]] on this base, reworking the movement into their [[IWC 7900|Cal. 7900 and 79000 family]]. But they remained tied to rival [[Swatch Group]]'s [[ETA]] as a movement supplier. This remains one of the most common IWC movements, though IWC switched to [[Sellita]] in the 2010s as a supplier of 7750 clones for their [[IWC 75000|Cal. 75000 family]].

IWC's other major family of mainstream movements was the time-only [[IWC 30000|Cal. 3000 family]]. Like the 7900 family, these movements were based on an [[ETA]] ebauche The respected but common [[ETA 2892]]. IWC paired this movement with Klaus perpetual calendar and refined and refinished it to their specifications, but they remained tied to the fortunes of the Swatch Group. Beginning in [[1998]], IWC switched to the [[ETA 2892A2]] for their [[IWC 30000|Cal. 30000 family]], all of which featured a refined winding system partly developed by former IWC engineer [[Richard Habring]]. The company still uses this design, switching to [[Sellita]] as a supplier for their [[IWC 35000|Cal. 35000 family]] in the 2000s.

But IWC desired to be a true //[[manufacture]]//, having seen that this was the path ahead for the company. In [[2000]], IWC launched an in-house movement with less reliance on outside suppliers. Their [[IWC 5000|Cal. 5000]] required 6 years in development and was like nothing else in the industry. A huge 38.2 mm movement, it featured a 7-day power reserve from a single spring, wound by a new dual-lever version of the [[Pellaton]] winding system. Enthusiasts recognized the significance of this movement and raced to buy them, though production was severely limited.

===== Focus on In-House Movements =====
The company continued to expand in-house movement capability with [[IWC 80000|Cal. 80000 family]], launched in [[2005]]. It was the company's first compact in-house movement since their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. Although similar in design to common ETA movements, [[IWC 80110|Cal. 80110]] capitalized on the ruggedness of the Pellaton winding system to show the company's technical capabilities. Two years later, IWC launched the [[IWC 89000|Cal. 89000 family]] of [[automatic chronograph]] movements. Again, IWC used the basic architecture of the Cal. 80110 but created their own unique movement on this base, this time an [[automatic chronograph]] with the signature [[flyback]] complication and [[Pellaton]] winding system. With the Cal 80110 and 89360 families, IWC achieved mass production of in-house movements once again.

[[2011]] saw two more movement families launched, the hand-wound [[eight-day]] [[IWC 59000|Cal. 59000 family]] and powerful [[double barrel]] [[IWC 94000|Cal. 94000 family]]. [[IWC 59360|Cal. 59360]] is an oversized movement featuring traditional complications [[Monopusher]] chronograph, [[rocking pinion]] coupling, and a [[sautoir]] for the chronograph minutes indicator. Like Cal. 5000, it has a single barrel despite the long eight-day power reserve. Although conceptually similar, Cal. 94000 features two barrels for greater torque, allowing it to power complications like a [[tourbillon]].

As of the 2010s, IWC is focusing on moving to all in-house movements. This is cemented with the [[IWC 52000|Cal. 52000 family]] of [[2015]], [[IWC 69000|Cal. 69000 family]] of [[2016]], and [[IWC 82000|Cal. 82000 family]] of [[2017]]. Cal. 52000 models feature [[automatic]] winding and [[double barrel]] power for the company's high-end time-only product offerings, replacing the Cal. 5000/50000 family. Cal. 69000 is an [[automatic chronograph]] movement and will appear in the majority of the company's chronograph watches, replacing the [[Valjoux]]-based [[IWC 7900|Cal. 7900/75000/79000 family]]. Cal. 82000 is for mainstream time-only watches, replacing the [[ETA]]-based [[IWC 30000|Cal. 3000/30000 family]].

===== Current Movement Families =====
IWC's current movement strategy is as follows 

  * [[IWC 52000|Cal. 52000 family]] (2015) - High-end double-barrel [[seven days]] movement (replaces single-barrel [[IWC 5000|Cal. 50000 family]])
  * [[IWC 59000|Cal. 59000 family]] (2011) - Hand-winding [[eight days]] single [[barrel]] movement
  * [[IWC 69000|Cal. 69000 family]] (2016) - Mainstream [[column wheel]] [[automatic chronograph]] (replaces [[IWC 7900|Cal. 75000/79000 family]])
  * [[IWC 80000|Cal. 80000 family]] (2005) - Robust time-only automatic with [[big date]] option
  * [[IWC 82000|Cal. 82000 family]] (2017) - Mainstream time-only automatic (replaces [[IWC 30000|Cal. 30000 family]])
  * [[IWC 89000|Cal. 89000 family]] (2007) - High-end [[automatic chronograph]] with [[flyback]]
  * [[IWC 94000|Cal. 94000 family]] (2011) - High-end hand-winding [[double barrel]] [[tourbillon]] and [[repeater]]
  * [[IWC 98000|Cal. 98000 family]] (1930s) - High-end hand-winding [[tourbillon]] and [[repeater]] (based on [[IWC 98|Cal. 98]] from the 1930s)

As of 2018, IWC still produces watches with the following [[ebauche]] movements based on classic [[ETA]] and [[Valjoux]] designs 

  * [[IWC 7900|Cal. 75000/79000 family]] Mainstream [[automatic chronograph]] based on the [[Valjoux 7750]] design (will be phased out in favor of the in-house [[IWC 69000|Cal. 69000 family]])
  * [[IWC 3000|Cal. 30000 family]] Mainstream time-only [[automatic]] based on the [[ETA 2892A2]] design (will be phased out in favor of the in-house [[IWC 82000|Cal. 82000 family]])


{{tag>IWC IWC_calibres Lists_of_calibres}}