This year’s novelties from IWC Schaffhausen reflect the brand’s continued pursuit of engineering ingenuity, underscoring its commitment to advancing the boundaries of modern horology. From the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL to expanding the Ingenieur collection with a refreshed take, IWC demonstrates its capacity to blend scientific innovation with refined aesthetics. These new introductions, unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, are not merely exercises in technical showmanship. Rather, they represent a considered evolution of IWC’s core collections—each grounded in utility, purpose, and long-term wearability.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL marks a significant development in IWC Schaffhausen’s ongoing research into mechanical resilience and technical refinement. This release brings together the Maison’s patented SPRIN-g PROTECT system and a flying minute tourbillon for the very first time—an engineering challenge that required the comprehensive re-design of the cantilever spring to accommodate the IWC-manufactured 82915 calibre. Further supporting the system’s effectiveness is the skeletonised architecture of the movement, including bridges, plates and rotor, which significantly reduces mass and enhances overall impact mitigation.

Scaling down in size but not in complexity, The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month introduces IWC’s perpetual calendar complication into the brand’s contemporary performance chronograph line for the first time. Rendered in Ceratanium and paired with a black ceramic bezel, the watch presents a clean, technical profile while housing a sophisticated blend of chronometric and calendrical mechanics.

At the centre of this design is the IWC-manufactured 89802 calibre, a self-winding movement composed of 474 individual components. It orchestrates a flyback chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and large-format digital date and month displays—features that are synchronised to adjust automatically, including for leap years with a discreet indicator at 6 o’clock. This intricate mechanism, inspired by IWC’s historic Pallweber pocket watches, accumulates and releases energy to advance multiple display discs precisely at the end of each month or year.This level of complexity is made legible through a balanced dial architecture.

With the introduction of the Ingenieur Automatic 35, IWC Schaffhausen extends the Ingenieur line with a more compact 35 mm format, offering a refined alternative without compromising the architectural integrity of the collection. Launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025, this new series preserves the signature codes of the Ingenieur—most notably, the bezel with five functional screws, the integrated bracelet, and the distinctive “Grid” dial structure—while enhancing ergonomics and wearability.

The Ingenieur Automatic 35 Ref. IW324903 is rendered entirely in 18-carat 5N gold, paired with a gold-coloured dial, solid gold appliques, and gold-plated hands. Ref. IW324901 and Ref. IW324906, both in stainless steel, offer silver-plated and black dials respectively, each complemented by rhodium-plated hands and appliques. All versions are fitted with an integrated bracelet and butterfly folding clasp in matching materials.

Despite its reduced case diameter and 9.4 mm thickness, the Ingenieur Automatic 35 maintains the same attention to surface finishing found in the 40 mm variant. A subtle interplay of satin-brushed and polished textures—visible across the bezel, case, and bracelet links—gives each reference a tactile, visually layered quality. The “Grid” pattern on the dial, composed of fine engraved lines and squares, provides both structure and depth, while the framed date aperture adds a thoughtful finishing detail.

Inside, the IWC-manufactured 47110 calibre delivers a 42-hour power reserve and is visible through a see-through sapphire glass case back. Finished with circular graining, Geneva stripes, and a gold-plated oscillating weight, the movement complements the watch’s considered proportions and high-end finishing.

With the Ingenieur Automatic 40, IWC Schaffhausen introduces a new reference that underscores the architectural clarity and material refinement central to the Ingenieur line. Fully rendered in 18-carat 5N gold—including the case, bezel, crown, bracelet and case back ring—this model reflects a nuanced approach to material expression, drawing a direct line to the bold geometric signatures of the Ingenieur SL. The case measures 40 mm in diameter, maintaining the proportions and integrated bracelet structure that define the modern Ingenieur. Satin-finished surfaces are juxtaposed with polished edges, bringing out the formal complexity of the case and bracelet architecture.

The Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 represents the first time IWC Schaffhausen has brought together its perpetual calendar complication with the integrated sports watch design. Housed in a 41.6 mm stainless steel case and paired with an integrated H-link bracelet, the watch maintains the sculptural geometry of the Ingenieur Automatic line. The blue dial—distinguished by its “Grid” structure of fine engraved lines and squares—provides a rich backdrop for the perpetual calendar’s three counters. Positioned at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, these display the date, month with perpetual moon phase, and day of the week, respectively. The subdial at 9 o’clock also incorporates a leap year indicator.

The Ingenieur Automatic 42 marks a new milestone for IWC Schaffhausen, translating the bold geometry of Gérald Genta’s original design into a full ceramic construction for the very first time. The watch integrates a multi-part case and bracelet in black zirconium oxide ceramic—a material prized for its lightness, scratch resistance, and temperature stability.

Achieving this faithful ceramic execution required a complete rethink of case architecture. The watch features a three-part construction: case ring, bezel, and case back ring—all rendered in black ceramic. A titanium inner ring anchors the movement and secures the functional screws on both front and back, contributing to water resistance of 10 bar. The black ceramic crown and crown protection add continuity to the case silhouette, while a convex sapphire glass with antireflective coating enhances legibility.

The novelties presented by IWC Schaffhausen at Watches and Wonders 2025 reflect a coherent vision—where material innovation, mechanical integrity and design continuity converge. Whether through the boundary-pushing resilience of the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL, the complication-rich ingenuity of the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, or the expanded Ingenieur portfolio rendered in gold, steel, ceramic and titanium, each model reveals a deepened commitment to engineering as craft.