Explore the Galapagos, Be Darwin – OR Wear a New IWC Aquatimer (Pre SIHH 2014)

Those of you who follow me know that I spent some time  on the Galapagos Archipelago – complete with a stop at the Charles Darwin Foundation and some island snorkeling — a few years back with IWC – as the brand pledged its support  to the Charles Darwin Foundation and to the preservation of this amazing natural habitat. This post brings you some great images from that trip and some insights into the newest watches from IWC that honor the Galapagos — where Darwin collected the specimens that eventually led to the basis for this theory on origins.

As IWC usually does, the brand this year once again pushes the boundaries with an intense focus on one collection. 2014 is the year of the Aquatimer and we couldn’t be more thrilled. This Diver’s collection has long been heralded for its innovative technology and extreme functionality – in typical IWC style, of course.  This year, the brand packs even more punch into the line with features such as in-house calibers, a patented quick-change bracelet system and a few surprises.

 

Among the new Aquatimer watches being released — watches you won’t want to miss – are the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands” and the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Expedition Charles Darwin.” Each of these watches has something special to offer, but we especially love the Expedition Charles Darwin because – for the first time in IWC history – the case is made of bronze.  Not often used in the industry, bronze is a great material because as it ages, it gets a patina that makes each watch unique.  (Just a handful of other brands have used bronze – with the first ever bronze case made decades ago by Gerald Genta when he unveiled the Gefica Safari watch.)

The Aquatimer Chronograph Edition  “Galapagos Islands” is powered by the IWC manufacture 89365 caliber and the case back is engraved with the likeness of one of the island’s famed inhabitants – the iguana. This year, IWC also equips one of the new Aquatimer diver’s models with a perpetual calendar with digital date/month in a large 49mm size that just trumps the word bold. Other greats that we will bring details about to you soon – the Aquatimer Deep Three in titanium with a mechanical depth gauge and the Aquatimer Automatic 2000 that can withstand extraordinary pressure. Oh I could just go on and on now

about how much I love the IWC Aquatimer collection and how cool the new pieces are, but   we would need many pages for that and a lot more time. So, just stay tuned for more to come.  This year promises to be a very special one for IWC – and we plan to bring you all the news first-hand.