In 1969, the very first Da Vinci came out, only it had a hexagonal shape and carried a quartz movement. It was an unusual style, not one that IWC would normally design. It was a bold move by the watch manufacturer, to come up with such a modern style. This case shape continued on until the 1980s. In 1985, the first evolution of the collection occurred when Kurt Klaus released the most famous version of the Da Vinci – the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar in a round case with articulated lugs. This iconic watch came with a complex mechanical movement.
In 2007, IWC released the Da Vinci in a unique tonneau-shaped case in a new IWC-manufactured movement: IWC’s first in-house chronograph movement. This case shape remained in the line-up of IWC’s collection up until the SIHH 2017. This year marked the return of the Da Vinci collection in a round case. Primarily, the collection is catered to the male market. But women nowadays like wearing men’s watches, despite the larger case size. This new Da Vinci collection can now be worn by feminine wrists, and just as comfortably as it fits the masculine wrist.
The new Da Vinci Automatic is a classically simple watch with three hands in a 40 mm case. Its moving horns allow it to rest comfortably on either small or larger wrists. With its movable horns, the alligator leather strap by Santoni on the Ref IW356601 fits perfectly on any wrist. The stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp of the Ref. IW356602 also fits snuggly on his or her wrist.
The gold-plated lancet-shaped leaf hands point to striking Arabic numerals on the silver-plated dial of the Ref. IW356601. Rhodium-plated hands and appliqués feature on the slate-colored dial of Ref. IW356602. A blue seconds hand provides a colorful contrast to the strikingly clear-cut design of the dial.
The new Da Vinci Automatic is a classically simple watch with three hands in a 40 mm case. Its moving horns allow it to rest comfortably on either small or larger wrists.
The movement inside the case is the Calibre 35111, a mechanical, self-winding movement with central hacking seconds and a date display at 6 o’clock. It beats at a frequency of 28,800 A/h (or 4 Hz), contains 25 jewels, and has a 42-hour power reserve. The Da Vinci Automatic is water resistant to 30 meters.
With a steel case, moving horns, and a twin-frame bezel encircled by a peripheral groove, the new Da Vinci Automatic is a tribute to and a modern interpretation of the Da Vinci SL Automatic from the late 1990s. By going “back to the basics”, the Da Vinci Automatic, and the rest of its siblings in the collection, will surely catch the interest of an even wider market – not just with the men but with the ladies as well.
