Best IWC Watch For Investment Purposes
Our article below explores the value of IWC’s watch collection and reveals the best IWC watch for investment to add to your portfolio
The Rundown
It is my goal to provide you with a deeper understanding of not just what the best IWC watch for investment is, but to give you the ability to understand what makes this valuable in itself, and allow you to be the judge of what watch model may fair well. As investments are never a sure thing – as you will very well know, if you have ever invested in the stock market – it is up to you to spot early signs of such developments and growth within the market.
IWC must have been one of the first watches I ever laid my eyes upon. Although I have to admit back then it wasn’t so much IWC that got me enthralled by the world of watch-making. Like most beginners, I believe it was always the Rolex watch brand that captured everyone’s attention when first gaining an appreciation for luxury watches.
However, IWC captivated me in a completely different manner, the brand did not simply just adopt the common default styles that Rolex would release. No. Instead of merely just copying the same aesthetic of the majority of the market, IWC decided to go a completely different way, and envision an aesthetic that perhaps would take an acquired taste yet make them stand out from their competitors.
IWC, as the name suggests, International Watch Company, may not have the same elegance nor complexity within their image as brands such as Cartier, or Jaeger-LeCoultre. But they do possess the vision of technological advancement that played a strong role in watch-making history.
See back in 1904 there wasn’t such a thing as mobile phones or laptops, the watch industry brands would be seen as the innovators in the world, providing new advancements that would benefit individuals service in the military to pilots flying thousands of miles in the air.
IWC has become a brand synonymous with the aeronautics industry, providing more military-specific pilot watches for WWI and WWII than any other watch brand. So when you are looking for the best IWC watch for investment it is probably the wisest move to stick to a model that links to the heritage of their brand such as the IWC Pilot – which links close to their aeronautics history.
So, without further ado, we have researched the best IWC watches for investment based on our personal opinion, by analysing the price rise within the market over the past 5 – 3 years.
IWC Big Pilot IW501015
Specifications
| Movement | Swiss (Automatic) |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Calibre | 52110 |
| Case Diameter | 46.2 mm |
| Power Reserve | 168 hours |
The IWC Big Pilot IW501015 is a modern adaptation of the original B-UHR watch which was produced back in 1940s for military navigators. The B-UHR watches possessed a design specific to bombers, with a large face – like 55 mm large – that would show the minutes clearly readable on the outside and then the hours on a smaller inner circle, and also be anti-magnetic (which was a must for when being up in the air).
The purpose of this watch was not pretty, Germany was gearing up for war and ordered a number of watchmakers to design a watch that would allow bombers to accurately drop the shells on their target. They would sink up their watches in their naval base before taking off, but if they needed to adjust their time for any reason the crown was also designed largely in size, which would make it easier for pilots who would have big clumsy gloves on to change it mid-flight.
IWC also manufactured their watches for allied forces and a variation of this watch is still in production to this day. Since the 1940’s the watch has seen various changes including its own in-house movement, a scale-down of size to 46mm diameter, and the hours have reverted to a normal watch format. In some designs, the watch also presents a power reserve, which has an impressive 8-day reserve on it.
The IWC Big Pilot IW501015 is one of the most recent releases on this list of the best IWC watch for investment, however, within the last 6 months its price has risen by $1,000 already. The piece comes in a pearl-like green dial with a date window at 6 o’clock, giving it a more elegant aesthetic than the original Big Pilot watches. Although if you are thinking about purchasing this watch, make sure you have big wrists to support the diameter size because when we say it’s big, we mean it.
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW503302
Specifications
| Movement | Swiss (Automatic) |
| Material | 18ct Gold |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Calibre | 52610 |
| Case Diameter | 44.2 mm |
| Power Reserve | 168 hours |
The Portugieser collection was first designed in 1939 for two Portuguese businessmen who wanted IWC to create a nautical watch that was as accurate as a marine chronometer, yet more elegant than the typically large and bulky pocket watches used on ships at the time.
IWC took on the challenge and created what is now one of its most iconic collections. The original Portugieser watches were powered by a pocket watch movement and housed in a large 42mm diameter case, which was considered quite big for the time – As most watches hovered around the 33mm mark.
Nowadays, the Portugieser collection has evolved to include various complications such as chronographs and perpetual calendars. The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW503302 is one IWC’s most elegant pieces they sell to date and hands down has to be one of the best perpetual calendars on the market and definitely one to buy for investment.
The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW503302 features a 44.2mm case made from polished 18ct Gold, with sapphire crystal glass on both the front and glass back. The dial is a pearl white with gold hands and indices, but the feature that captures everyone attention is the 3 sub-dials and its main center piece, the hypnotic moonphase elegantly integrated into the dial at the 12 o’clock, a as well as a year window at the six o’clock position.
Powering the watch is the in-house IWC calibre 52610 movement, which has a power reserve of 168 hours (Seven days). The perpetual calendar complication ensures that the watch will correctly display the day, date, month and year – Even accounting for leap years.
IWC Mark XII Pilot
Specifications
| Movement | Swiss (Automatic) |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Calibre | 884/2 (Jaeger LeCoultre) |
| Case Diameter | 36 mm |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
IWC has a long history of producing pilot’s watches, dating back to the 1930s when they released the first “Special Air Unit” watches for the British Royal Air Force. In 1948, they released the iconic Mark IX pilot’s watch – Which was worn by both civilian and military pilots alike.
The Mark XII was released in 1993 as a modern update to the original Mark IX. It featured a number of improvements over its predecessor, including a more accurate movement and a water-resistant case.
The IWC Mark XII is powered by the in-house calibre 30120 movement, which has a power reserve of 44 hours. It features a simple, yet functional, dial with large Arabic numerals and a date window at the three o’clock position.
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Specifications
| Movement | Swiss (Automatic) |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Calibre | 89630 |
| Case Diameter | 43 mm |
| Power Reserve | 68 hours |
The Da Vinci collection was first introduced by IWC in 1969 and was named after the Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci. The original Da Vinci watches were powered by the infamous Beta 21 quartz movement and featured an innovative design with a hexagonal-shaped case and integrated bracelet.
In 2007, the brand added a tonneau-shaped model to the collection with a focus on the first in-house chronograph movement that was featured in the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. However, this collection did not prove to be popular among watch buyers and so in 2017, the brand reverted back to its heritage circular design for the all-new IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar which brought back the Italian-styled theme that made the older models so special.
The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph IW392103 features a 43mm case made from polished stainless steel, with sapphire crystal glass on the front and back. The dial features 4 sub-dials with a date window above the seven o’clock position.
Powering the watch is the in-house IWC calibre 89630 movement, which has a power reserve of 68 hours. The perpetual calendar complication ensures that the watch will correctly display the day, date, month and year – Even accounting for leap years.
IWC Portofino Chronograph IW391007
Specifications
| Movement | Swiss (Automatic) |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Calibre | 75320 |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Power Reserve | 44 hours |
The Portofino collection was first introduced by IWC in 1984 and is named after the Italian fishing village of the same name. Similar to the Portugieser came packed with a pocket watch movement, giving it a large face, which has become an iconic dress watch in their collection. Instead of the company trying to pull off complex designs to compete with other watch industries within the Quartz crisis, IWC focused back to its roots which was how the Portofino was created.
The IWC Portofino Chronograph IW391007 features a 42mm case made from polished stainless steel, with sapphire crystal glass, the dial is a beautifully large dial with 2 subdials at 12 and 6 o’clock, and 1 smaller designed subdial at 9 o’clock, with the date and day window positioned at the 3 o’clock.
Powering the watch is the in-house IWC calibre 75320 movement, which has a power reserve lasting around a powerful 44 hours. Although this watch may not be the best IWC watch to buy for investment compared to the other watches presented on this list, it has managed to maintain a reliable and consistent value of over $3,000 for the past 5 years.
