When looking for a new watch to invest in, you want to make sure you are making the right decision. With this in mind, we’re discussing IWC and the brand’s investment potential.
The Swiss watchmaker blends expert craftsmanship with cutting-edge American engineering to create reliable, innovative and stylish timepieces. IWC has been a pioneer in the watchmaking industry since its formation in 1868 and continues to develop beautiful watches to this day.
What Makes IWC Special?
If this is your first luxury watch purchase, you can’t go wrong with IWC watches. The brand is well known for its innovation; they are often at the forefront of new materials and design ideas. They were the first watchmaker to create a digital watch in 1885, then the first to produce a full-production watch with a titanium bracelet and case in the 1980s. Their Grand Complications watch, launched in 1990, had 659 parts, one of the most complex watches on the market. In addition, IWC Aquatimer watches boasted 2,000 metres of water resistance before any other watch.
The brand showcases its unique innovations in movements with transparent case backs and has been known to be worn by notable celebrities such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Bradley Cooper on the red carpet.
Do IWC Watches Retain Their Value?
As a brand, IWC watches tend to retain their value well. Some IWC families are more likely to increase in value than others.
With IWC watches, you will find their value tends to remain around purchase cost value for the first five years or so, then start going up. With most things that raise in value, most IWC watches will depreciate before they start going up again. For example, an IWC Pilot watch valued at around £3,750 will likely dip to approximately £3,600 for the first few years, then increase to £3,900 20 years down the line.
This is the same for IWC Da Vinci Watches and the Aquatimer and Ingenieur watch collections. It is believed that they do this because of the limited production run of IWC compared to other luxury watch brands.
Are They A Good Investment?
As mentioned, most IWC watch collections increase in value with time, making them a good investment. Also, thanks to their quality craftsmanship, you will be able to enjoy whichever IWC watch you buy instead of leaving it locked up in a box, worried about damaging it.
The strong titanium cases, quality leather bracelets, and warranty on IWC watches help you look after your chosen model until it is time to invest in it. Of course, it’s best not to put it under too much pressure and to take care of it by maintaining it while you own it. But you will likely make your money back, and more, in years to come when you opt for an IWC watch.
Which IWC Watch Should I Invest In?
There are several fantastic models in the IWC family. The brand is constantly improving its selection, and you have many features to choose from.
The best way to approach buying a watch for investment is to think about what you want from your timepiece. Your watch should reflect you and your personality, so consider these, not just how much you think you will get for it down the line.
Are you looking for something sporty? Are you an aviator or a diver? Will the watch be put through its paces with you, or are you looking more for a special occasion suit watch? The answers to these questions will guide you to a suitable collection.
Three of the most important aspects of a watch that you need to consider are versatility, especially if you are looking for something that can be worn throughout the day for different events, personalities and sizes.
Let us give you a breakdown of the collections and their different features:
IWC Pilots Watches
IWC created more military specification pilot watches throughout World War One and Two than any other company, and today IWC Pilot watches remain central to the brand’s collection.
IWC claims that these watches “bring the magic of flight to all who wear them”, and we’d agree. In the 1930s, these watches needed to deliver the exact time and information the pilot required to survive; they monitored flight times and engine hours and provided vital information about navigation at the flick of a wrist. They cemented the brand’s reputation for providing highly accurate readings for the wearer.
The modern-day IWC Pilots watches have taken this reputation further and deliver highly accurate readings of multiple time periods simultaneously. Just as they used to in 1936, IWC requests feedback from pilots in the US Navy Squadrons and elsewhere to deliver what they need to do their jobs. IWC developed this collection with pilots in mind, collaborating with pilots of the time and continues to do so to this day.
IWC Portofino Watches
Another notable collection, IWC Portofino Watches, delivers timeless elegance. They hark back to the simpler days of the pocket watch, with uncluttered, large displays and stylish roman numerals. The traditional approach means that this collection stands out amongst other IWC collections, but it doesn’t limit the models in any way.
You can find hand-wound, automatic, chronograph, moon phase and even tourbillion models within the Portofino collection. What’s more, every one of them comes with a traditional, relaxed feel that you get when you step into its namesake fishing town in Italy.
IWC Aquatimer
IWC Schaffhausen Aquatimer watches are the epitome of diving watches. They were created specifically for divers to use to monitor the amount of time they had been underwater. They had to deliver accurate readings while remaining robust under the water and dealing with the different pressures found below the sea level.
The models in this collection range from 3-bar watches suitable for a dip in the pool or a paddle in the ocean to 200-bar watches that will help you when deep-sea diving. They come with two-colour luminescent coatings on the hands, hour markers to ensure you can read the time no matter where you are, and a rotatable bezel to track time underwater.
IWC Portugieser Watches
Another of the brand’s older collections, the IWC Portugieser collection, is a true icon. The design features simple Arabic numbers, slim feuille hands and a railway-track-style chapter ring reminiscent of the pocket watches that came before it.
Released in the 1930s, this model was well ahead of its time and remains a sought-after option when looking for a more traditional dress watch. The simple, organised dials and beautiful cases offer high levels of elegance and sophistication.
IWC Da Vinci Watches
Hailing from the 1960s, the first IWC Da Vinci watch was a landmark piece. The technology featured the first Swiss-made quartz movement, and it was ten times more accurate than a tested chronometer movement. The piece’s elements were inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci in the later models from the 1980s, which featured the autonomous perpetual calendar.
The modern-day Da Vinci continues to deliver high levels of style and elegance, with the circle’s focus, Da Vinci’s favourite geometrical figure, used throughout the models.
IWC Watches at New Cavendish Jewellers
As New Cavendish Jewellers, we can offer assistance in finding the right IWC watch on finance for you, whether looking for an investment piece or a gift for a loved one. We have a fantastic selection of all the latest models from the watchmakers online and in our London showroom. If you’re looking for other brands of 0% finance watches, we offer everything from Cartier watches on finance to Jaeger-LeCoultre watches.