IWC (International Watch Company AG), does business as IWC Schaffhausen, which is named after Schaffhausen, Switzerland, where the swiss watch manufacturer is located. IWC is a subsidiary of the luxury goods holding company Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA since 2000. Richemont was created in 1988 and has many fine timepiece brands under its ownership including Piaget, Cartier, Baume & Mercier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, Montblanc, Officine Panerai among others.
IWC was founded by the American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones in 1868. Ever since 1885, each watch produced by IWC has been documented in their exceptional records. All watches from every era can be repaired, serviced and has parts available to achieve a long lasting and working timepiece.
A Guide to IWC Rubber B Series
Rubber B recently launched support for various IWC models. Rubber B has been a long time supplier of vulcanized rubber watch straps for Rolex, AP, Patek Philippe, Panerai and Tudor brands. However, recently Rubber B launched an entire lineup of watchbands for IWC Portugieser, IWC Pilot Timezoner, IWC Big Pilot, IWC Pilot Chrono, and IWC Mark XVII & Mark XVIII.
Rubber B has developed new techniques in watchband designs over the recent years. The new bands for IWC reflect these enhancements including bands that look and feel like real Alligator hide but are 100% rubber, and “Blocked-Integration” which creates a motionless and secure fit to the IWC case. Blocked-Integration bands are custom designed to fit the specific case it is designed for – like a custom glove for the hand it is made for. This creates a more beautiful and exquisite design for the timepiece it adorns.
It is important to know that all Rubber B bands are manufactured in Switzerland with the same attention to detail as the Swiss watch industry has. These bands are made from pure vulcanized rubber, without the use of coatings, blends or bondings which can fray, warp and disintegrate over time.
All Rubber B bands are non-toxic, non-marking, allergy free and do not attract dust.
A Guide to IWC Portugieser
The IWC Portugieser is based on a pocket watch design from the late 1930’s – The Reference 325. It has small Arabic numerals around the dial and long slender feuille hands for the hour and minutes hands. There are many styles of the Portugieser. Here are a few of the standout designs.
The Portugieser Automatic 40 reference IW358305 has a blue dial face and a small seconds dial at the 6 o’clock position. It is otherwise an exquisite dresswatch. It has a see-through sapphire glass back and is resistant to 3 bar in waterproofness. It has a 40.4mm case and is powered by the 82200 caliber with 60 hours of power reserve. It is built with 192 components and 31 jewels.
The Portugieser Chronograph reference IW371604 has similar features to the Automatic 40, but has a slightly bigger case at 41 mm. The obvious chronograph features are powered by pushers at the 2 and 4 o’clock positions. The Caliber 69355 has a 46 hour power reserve, and has 194 components and 27 jewels.
The IWC Portugeiser Annual Calendar Reference IW503504 has a 44.2mm 18 ct gold case. The dial is silver-plated. It has a 52850 caliber with an amazing 168 hour power reserve. It is made with 326 components and 36 jewels. The stunning features between the 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock dial include the Month, Numerical Day of the Month, and the Day of the week.
Rubber B has developed two stellar band options for the IWC Portugeiser timepiece which have the 22mm lug space on their watchband area. It is NOT compatible with 20mm models or the 5007.. models.
The Alligator strap is made from 100% vulcanized rubber and no alligator was harmed in the making of this strap. It comes in 3 colors including Navy Blue, Jet Black, and Expresso Brown. It is a perfect strap for the IWC Portugeiser since it has both the exquisite look and feel of real leather, but has the resiliency of pure rubber. This strap uses blocked integration resulting in a tight motionless fit to the case. It also supports the IWC buckle that came with the watch.
The Swimskin Ballistic series took years to perfect. It resulted in a watchband that actually has a look and feel of real textured fabric such as Kevlar, but is made from 100% rubber. It is ideal for all waterproof activities and has the strength to last for years. It comes with 4 different colors including Arctic White, Jet Black, Navy Blue, Military Green and This strap uses blocked integration resulting in a tight motionless fit to the case. It also supports the IWC buckle that came with the watch. It is also intended to fit the IWC Portugieser fitted with 22mm lugs.
A Guide to IWC Timezoner
The IWC Timezoner timepiece has a distinct look about it. It has a large 46mm steel case and is resistant to water at a depth of 6 bar. This timepiece has a chronograph function that is managed by the two pushers at the 2 and 4 o’clock positions. It has a flyback function, a date display, hacking seconds, and a 24 hour display for Worldtimer functions.
The Timezoner has a sapphire glass which is convex and secured against displacement by drops in air pressure. The movement is a IWC-manufactured 89760 caliber with 68 hours of power reserve. It has 323 components and 39 jewels inside.
Rubber B offers both the Alligator and the Ballistic Series bands for the Timezoner. Both bands are made with blocked engineering for a tight motionless fit to the Timezoner 22mm lug case, and they support the original clasp that was provided by IWC.
A Guide to IWC Big Pilot
The IWC Big Pilot got its historic name from the 1940 Big Pilot Military Navigators’ Watch which was the largest wristwatch ever made at IWC at the time. Today there are many different styles of the Big Pilot including simplistic designs that nod to the original 1940 design. Among some of the more unique and complex designs are a Perpetual Calendar reference IW502903 “Top Gun Edition”, a Big Pilot Annual Calendar Edition reference IW502708, and a Big Date Edition. Besides the large case, the Big Pilot has a large winding crown and highly visible features on a bold dial.
Rubber B offers both the Alligator and the Ballistic Series bands for the Big Pilot, which offers 2 styles and 4 different colors to choose from. Both bands are made with blocked engineering for a tight motionless fit to the Big Pilot 22mm lug case, and they support the original deployant buckle that was provided by IWC.
A Guide to IWC Pilot Chrono
The IWC Pilot Chrono reference IW377701 comes with a 43 mm case and a water resistance to 6 bar. It features a chrono function with hours, minutes and seconds and has a Day + Date display. The soft-iron inner case offers protection against magnetic fields, and the Sapphire glass is convex and secured against displacement by drops in air pressure. It is powered by a caliber 79320 movement with 44 hours of power reserve. It has 240 components and 25 jewels.
Rubber B offers both the Alligator and the Ballistic Series bands for the Pilot Chrono, which offers 2 styles and 4 different colors to choose from. Both bands are made with blocked engineering for a tight motionless fit to the Pilot Chrono 22mm lug case, and they support the original deployant buckle that was provided by IWC.
A Guide to IWC Mark XVII and Mark XVIII
The IWC Mark XVII and Mark XVIII are simple but perfect designs offered by IWC. The dial is clean with the exception of the date window at the 3 o’clock position. The winding crown is normal sized compared to the Big Pilot and other IWC models. It has a 40 mm case and the Mark XVIII is powered by the 30110 caliber movement. It has a 42 hour reserve and is built with 163 components and 21 jewels. The water resistance is 6 bar, but more importantly, it is built to protect against drops in air pressure with a convex sapphire glass.
Rubber B offers two types of straps for the Mark XVII and Mark XVIII. The first is the Original Rubber B Tang Buckle Series which features the signature “T” design and comes with the 316L Stainless Steel Tang Buckle. It utilizes “Blocked Integration” engineering incorporating solid inserts for a flawless motionless flush mount to the watch case. It comes in Jet Black, Arctic White, Red Devil, Navy Blue, and Mandarin Orange.
The Vulchromatic Series is essentially the same as the Tang Buckle Series except it is built with a 2 tone stripe going down the side of the black strap. The 2nd tone includes a green, red or blue stripe. Rubber B perfected the art of 2 tone vulcanized rubber because it is actually built into the vulcanization process. The 2nd color is not a overlay paint which can be scratched off, or flaked off over time. All Rubber B straps are made in Switzerland with the highest Swiss horological standards.
