After the devastation of two world wars, the western world entered into a fast-developing period. As the entire Swiss watch industry went into a brisk market, the IWC also embraced its heyday that lasts for decades.

However, the emergence of quartz watches and the cataclysmic rise in gold prices in the 1970s brought huge challenges to the Swiss watch industry, which is known as the Swiss watchmaking crisis. To adapt to the profound changes that swept the whole industry, IWC required more funding to sustain its development. As a result, IWC was taken over by VDO Adolf Schindling AG in 1978. The name of IWC, given by its founder F.A. Jones, was recovered at the same time.

In 1981, Otto Heller succeeded H.E. Homberger as general manager following the latter’s retirement on age grounds. Under the lead of the new management, IWC soon got back to the track of rapid growing.

In 1991 IWC director Günter Blümlein founded the LMH Group, with 100% stake in IWC, 90% in Lange & Söhne and 60% in Jaeger-LeCoultre.

In 2000, LMH was acquired by Richemont, now the world’s second-largest luxury goods group, but the independence and continuity of the LMH brands as a closed unit was remained.

With the rich resources in the Richemont group, the brand of IWC is substantially reinforced. Since then, IWC opened boutiques worldwide and made debute at SIHH every year. IWC watches became more and more sought after. IWC replica watches are thus more and more popular, too.

In 2008, IWC celebrated its 140th anniversary with the launch of 6 its iconic watches: the Pilot’s Watch, Portuguese, Ingenieur, Aquatimer, Da Vinci and Portofino. The great event push the popularity IWC watches to an unprecedented height. It can be predicted that IWC Schaffhausen will continue to achieve new culmination with more exciting watches for its fans.

View replica IWC watches and get your own now!

Despite the huge success it enjoyed, IWC was sold to the Rauschenbach family in 1880. Since then, IWC entered into the Rauschenbach Era and its ownership was changed from American to Swiss.

During this period, four generations of the Rauschenbach family dominated IWC with different names.

First Owner from Rauschenbach
The first owner from the Rauschenbach family was Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel, who was a local machine manufacturer at Schaffhausen. He bought the company in 1880. IWC was called Internationale Uhrenfabrik by then.

But just one year later, Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel died and IWC was taken over by his son, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk, the second owner from Rauschenbach family.

Second Owner from Rauschenbach
Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk was only 25 years old when he took over IWC. IWC was named Uhrenfabrik Von J. Rauschenbach by then.

With the help of the experienced and loyal IWC staff called Urs Haenggi, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk ran the company successfully for 24 years until his death in 1905. During this period, sales grew significantly in the European market. IWC’ motto, Probus Scafusia, meaning good solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen, was also advanced at this time.

Third Owner from Rauschenbach
After the death of J. Rauschenbach-Schenk in 1905, his wife, two daughters and their husbands, Ernst Jakob Homberger (director of G. Fischer AG in Schaffhausen) and Dr. Carl Jung, became the new owners of IWC. They ran IWC as an open trading company by the name of the Uhrenfabrik Von J. Rauschenbach’s Erben.

Later, E.J. Homberger took over the company as sole proprietor. He led the company through the most difficult times when the two world war and the world economic crisis broke out. His great contribution was honored in 1952 with a award of honorary doctorate by the University of St. Gallen.

Last Owner from Rauschenbach
E.J. Homberger died in 1955. His son Hans Ernst Homberger became the last of the Rauschenbach heirs to run IWC. He had joined his father’s company in 1934 and took control of IWC since his father’s death.

Hans Ernst Homberger’s major task was to develop the company to keep it stay ahead of the increasingly fierce competition in the watch making industry. He built a new premise to the original factory, bought new machines, and set up modern pension fund for the staff. E.J. Homberger continued to run IWC as a sole proprietor. He died in 1986 at the age of 77.

Many of IWC’s iconic watch models and technical breakthroughs were born during this period. For example, the IWC Ingenieur collection, the first automatic wristwatch with a soft-iron inner case, was introduced in 1955. In 1978, IWC introduced the world’s first titanium watch case and bracelet. And the revolutionary IWC Da Vinci collection was unveiled in 1985.

View more replica IWC watches

The name of the famous Swiss watchmaker IWC is actually the abbreviation for International Watch Company. As its name implies, IWC originated from international cooperation. It is in fact founded by an American called Florentine Ariosto Jones.

F.A. Jones had been the director of America’s leading watchmaking company at that time and aimed to blend the Swiss craftsmanship with American modern engineering technology. In 1868, 27-year-old Jones came to Schaffhausen, a small town in eastern Switzerland with a long history of watch making activity. He wanted to open a company to produce movements and watch parts to supply the American market.

He expected the Swiss craftsmen to share their watchmaking expertise with him at his factory. But his brave decision encountered cold shoulders. At that time, although there was an abundant supply of skilled watch craftsmen, most craftsmen tended to work in their homes and feared for working at a factory with the worry of revealing their patrimonial expertise.

Fortunately, an visionary Swiss watch maker and industrialist Johann Heinrich Moser showed interest to Jones’ plan.  Moser had built Schaffhausen’s first hydroelectric plant and was highly respected in the local watch industry, he attracted many talented craftmen to work for Jones.The International Watch Company was founded based on such dream partnership of Jones and Moser. Located in Schaffhausen, IWC is the first and only watch manufacturers in north-eastern Switzerland.

The timepieces produced by IWC soon became sought after with their excellent quality and middle-end price. By the year of 1875, IWC already grew into 3 factory premises to meet the increasing demands.