IWC Schaffhausen was founded in 1868 by American engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones, who chose Schaffhausen specifically for its access to water power from the Rhine and its proximity to the skilled metalworkers of the region. That American-Swiss origin gave IWC a technical character distinct from the Vallée de Joux and Geneva traditions: engineering-led, functional in aesthetic, and focused on movements built for durability under demanding conditions. The Big Pilot, developed from navigation instruments supplied to the German Luftwaffe in 1940, the Ingenieur designed to withstand magnetic fields, the Aquatimer, built for professional divers, and the Portugieser, which houses pocket watch movements in a wristwatch case to achieve the accuracy of a chronometer, each represent a distinct engineering brief executed without aesthetic compromise.
At WATCHOYSTER, we carry a selection of certified pre-owned IWC watches sourced and inspected in Switzerland. Every piece has been physically examined by our in-house certified watchmaker, verified against The Watch Register, and documented before listing. What you see reflects the actual condition of the watch, with no exceptions.
IWC generates consistent secondary market demand across every major collection, with the Big Pilot, Portugieser Chronograph and Pilot's Watch Mark series attracting particularly active collector interest. The pre-owned market offers access to discontinued references including the original Ingenieur SL, earlier Aquatimer Deep Two variants and Portugieser complications that no longer appear at retail, often with original box and papers in very good condition. Buying a certified second-hand IWC from a verified dealer in Switzerland means authentication covers the full range of in-house and ebauche-based calibres the manufacture has used, assessed by specialists who understand the technical distinctions that determine value across different periods of production. Our 12-month warranty applies to every piece in our catalogue, and our 14-day return policy covers any case where the watch does not correspond to its description.
All IWC watches in our catalogue are available for immediate worldwide dispatch with full insurance. Delivery within Switzerland takes 2 to 3 business days as standard. Clients who prefer to inspect a specific reference in person before committing can arrange a private appointment at our Geneva Free Zone lounge, where the watch is presented with full documentation and movement function can be demonstrated on-site.
For clients based in Switzerland, Financing is available on selected pre-owned IWC references across terms from 3 to 24 months, with no interest and no administrative fee. The minimum first payment is 25% of the purchase price, with equal fixed monthly instalments for the chosen term. The process is confirmed at checkout in under three minutes with no documentation required beyond standard order information.
