IWC was founded in Schaffhausen in 1868 by American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones.
Jones established the International Watch Company in Switzerland after seeking to combine American manufacturing methods with Swiss watchmaking expertise. Schaffhausen, in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, offered industrial infrastructure and access to hydropower from the Rhine.
The company’s full name is International Watch Company, and it is commonly abbreviated to IWC. Its early production included pocket watches, while later collections became known for aviation, engineering and complications.
The founder’s nationality is sometimes overlooked because IWC is strongly identified with Swiss watchmaking. Another frequent confusion is the location: IWC was founded in Schaffhausen, not Geneva, and the company has retained that city as its home. Its watches include the Portugieser, Pilot’s Watch and Portofino families.