The historic Pallweber pocket watches showed the hours and minutes in large numerals on rotating discs. Yet the innovative time display was ahead of its age: the watches were only a commercial success for a brief period before disappearing from the scene after a few years. 

IWC Tribute To Pallweber Edition "150 Years" Ref. 5050
IWC Tribute To Pallweber Edition "150 Years" Ref. 5050

To mark its anniversary, IWC is recognising the scale of this pioneering exploit by Schaffhausen’s watchmakers with the IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years” (Ref. 5050). As a reference to the design of the historic Pallweber watches and a tribute to F.A. Jones – the American watchmaker who founded IWC – the windows of the digital display are labelled as “Hours” and “Minutes”. A total of 25 watches will be made in platinum, 250 in red gold and 500 in stainless steel:

– Platinum, white dial with lacquered finish, blue display discs, blued seconds hand (Ref. IW505001)

– 18-carat red gold, white dial with lacquered finish, white display discs, blued seconds hand (Ref. IW505002)

– Stainless steel, blue dial with lacquered finish, white display discs, rhodium- plated seconds hand (Ref. IW505003)

IWC Pallweber
‍IWC Tribute To Pallweber Edition "150 Years" Ref. 5050

When creating the IWC-manufactured 94200 calibre, the watch designers developed a new solution for the technically sophisticated digital display (patent pending). While toothed cogs moved the discs in the historic Pallweber pocket watches, the impulse that advances the single-minute disc is now supplied by a separate wheel train with a barrel of its own.

IWC Caliber 94200
IWC Caliber 94200

A release mechanism that establishes a connection to the watch’s main wheel train unlocks the train every 60 seconds and then immediately locks it again. After 10 minutes, the single-minute disc moves the 10-minute disc forward by one position. Every 60th minute, the hour ring jumps to the next numeral. The fact that the flow of power in the main wheel train is uninfluenced by the separate wheel train in the display discs guarantees a precise rate and a high 60-hour power reserve.

Just like on the historic Pallweber pocket watches, the display discs are connected by a mechanical linkage with a star wheel (Maltese cross drive) and can be easily moved forwards or backwards using the crown.

IWC Blue Dial

 

Tehnical specifications

Iwc Tribute To Pallweber Edition “150 Years”

Ref. IW505001 · IW505002 · IW505003

Features

Mechanical movement – Hand-wound – Large digital displays for hours and minutes – Small hacking seconds – Breguet spring – See-through sapphire-glass back – Jubilee medallion in 18-carat gold on back of movement – Limited to 25 watches (Ref. IW505001)/250 watches (Ref. IW505002)/ 500 watches (Ref. IW505003)

IWC Movement

Movement

IWC-manufactured calibre: 94200; Frequency: 28,800 A/h | 4 Hz; Jewels: 50; Power reserve: 60 hours; Winding: Hand-wound.

Watch

Materials: Ref. IW505001: Platinum case, white dial with lacquered  finish,

black printed indices and numerals, blue display discs, blued seconds hand, black alligator leather strap by Santoni

Ref. IW505002: 18-carat red gold case, white dial with lacquered  finish, black printed indices and numerals, white display discs, blued seconds hand, black alligator leather strap by Santoni

Ref. IW505003: Stainless steel case, blue dial with lacquered  finish, white printed indices and numerals, white display discs, rhodium-plated seconds hand, black alligator leather strap by Santoni

Glass: Sapphire, convex, antire ective coating on both sides; Water-resistant: 3 bar; Diameter: 45mm; Height: 12mm.

The price for the IWC Tribute To Pallweber Edition “150 Years” will be $23,100 for the Stainless Steel with Blue Dial, $36,600 for the Red Gold with White Dial and $57,800 for the Platinum with White Dial.

For more visit IWC Online.