IWC has proven that they aren’t afraid to tap into their illustrious past to bring us some amazing watches. For SIHH 2017, it’s safe to say that they’re bringing out the big guns by completely revisiting their Da Vinci collection. Following inspiration drawn from the established Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar watch of 1985, IWC is bringing back the sleek, classic round case design for a revamped and revisited look. Perhaps the most impressive and mechanically interesting of the bunch is the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch.

One thing to note about this design choice is the fact that IWC also plans on saying goodbye to the tonneau case designs that are part of the Da Vinci collection today. While some tonneau case fans might recoil at the idea, IWC claims that they are doing so in order to reaffirm their commitment to what they call “classic proportions the brand stands for.” Still, it’s safe to say that most of us wouldn’t have it any other way. One quick look at the dial and it becomes quite evident that a round case such as this is perfect for showcasing all the intricacies, functions, and nuances we love seeing in a perpetual calendar chronograph.

There’s quite a bit that goes into the construction of a watch like the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. As a matter of fact, IWC claims that it is their first watch to combine a mechanical chronograph function with a perpetual moon phase feature on a sub-dial in a new complication module. Besides presenting the wearer with a lovely moon phase display, it offers all of the required traits found in a perpetual calendar  – date, month, day, and four-digit year display. And if that wasn’t enough, the IWC-manufactured caliber 89630 beating within also has an integrated flyback function thrown in for good measure. Not to mention a moon phase function that operates with considerable accuracy for 577.5 years.

IWC also pridefully packs in every kind of luxury you can think of into both the stainless steel version (Ref. IW392103) and 18-carat red gold version (Ref. IW392101). Both feature a 43 mm case that is 15.5 mm tall and delivers 3 bars/30 meters of water resistance. Naturally, each model comes with a sapphire case back, sapphire crystal with AR coating on both sides, and a Santoni alligator leather strap. The straps are also tastefully paired with the dials – black for the slate-coloured dial on the stainless steel version and dark brown for the silver-plated dial on the 18-carat red gold reference.

With a release like this, there’s no doubt that IWC plans of having a strong presence at SIHH 2017. The brand is clearly ready to show just how far they can push themselves into the future of watch making while paying tribute to their past. We will update with the pricing for the the stainless steel version (Ref. IW392103) and for the 18-carat red gold version (Ref. IW392101) as soon as we have it. iwc.com