2017 Da Vinci collection

With the round cases, harmonious forms, rounded crowns and diamonds on single models in the new collection, IWC Schaffhausen establishes a link between the Da Vinci of the 1980s and today’s pure designs without denying the family’s heritage. The twin-frame bezel with the peripheral groove is a reminder of this period.

Newly designed, movable horns with curved [[lugs]] ensure that straps and bracelets fit perfectly around the wrist and make the watches more comfortable to wear. All Da Vinci Automatic, Da Vinci Automatic 36 and Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 models - with the exception of Reference IW459308 and Reference IW356601 - are equipped with the new butterfly clasp. The clasp has three fold-out wings so the wearer can put on and take off the watch without fully opening the strap or bracelet. Two Da Vinci watches are fitted with a pin buckle: the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 (Ref. IW459308) has an 18-caratred gold clasp, the Da Vinci Automatic (Ref. IW356601) one in stainless steel. The two models with Haute Horlogerie complications – the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph  and the Da Vinci Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph  – feature a folding clasp with two wings.




 
The Da Vinci Automatic 36 (Ref. IW458307/IW458308/IW458310/IW458312) and the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 (Ref. IW459306/IW459307/IW459308) are not only smallerand slimmer, but also have a more feminine design: with rounded [[crown]]s and a recessed inner circle on the dial, as previously found in the Portofino 37 mm collection. Gold cases, diamond-set bezels and alligator leather straps by Santoni in the colours raspberry, bronze, dark brown and dark blue specially developed for IWC underscore the watch’s aesthetic appeal. 

The moon phase display is now the visual centre of the silver-plated dial in the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36. The gold- or silver coloured moon moves clockwise against the dark blue night sky. The so-called “Flower of Life” is engraved on the case backs of all Da Vinci Automatic 36 and Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 models. This geometrical figure features several regularly overlapping circles and was the object of intensive study and numerous drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.


The Da Vinci Automatic (Ref. IW356601/IW356602) with its 40-millimetre diameter was designed for both men and women as a classic watch with three hands and features a discreet, elegant design. The minimalist dial with its large Arabic figures and lancet-shaped hands perfectly matches the purist design of the Da Vinci Automatic. One model comes with a silver-plated dial and a black Santoni leather strap, the other with a slate-coloured dial and stainless-steel bracelet.

The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. IW392101/IW392103) is the first watch from IWC to combine the mechanical chronograph with a perpetual moon phase display on a subdial in a new complication module. The moon phase is displayed by a disc, partly silver- or gold-plated, partly dark blue, which rotates to show the shadow of the earth and the waxing or waning moon below an [[aperture]] in the dial. In order to achieve this, IWC’s watchmakers had to design the in-house 89630 calibre that powers the [[perpetual calendar]]’s other functions: the date, month, day and four-digit year display.

The Da Vinci Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph (Ref. IW393101) in 18-[[carat]] red gold offers the unusual combination of a classic tourbillon with a retrograde date and a sporty chronograph on a single dial. The further-developed 89360 chronograph calibre, the new IWC-manufactured 89900 calibre, permits down-to-the-second setting of what is known as the “hacking tourbillon” via a newly designed system of levers. The result is a technically sophisticated and optically balanced complication with a clear, uncluttered design.
The wearer reads stopped hours and minutes off from a totalizer at the top of the dial, while a central seconds hand shows elapsed seconds. The flying tourbillon is positioned below at “6 o’clock” and, on the left-hand side, the gently curved arc of the retrograde date display almost visually connects one complication with the other. Apart from this, the pallet [[lever]] and escape wheel were manufactured with the use of diamond shell technology for the first time. This involves a diamond coating that reduces friction, thus generating a higher output of energy.