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IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire
IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire — Front view

Front view

Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.

IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire — Case-back view

Case-back view

Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.

IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire — Movement

Movement

Calibre with its finishing and decoration.

On the wrist

On the wrist

Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.

IWC Schaffhausen · Ingenieur

IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire

Reference 23873OR.67

Reference at a glance

Brand
IWC Schaffhausen
Collection
Ingenieur
Model
IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire
Reference number
23873OR.67
Year / era
2010 · 2010s — modern production
Complication
Perpetual calendar
Movement
In-house manual-winding
Case material
Sapphire crystal case
Dial type
Mother-of-pearl
Strap / bracelet
Integrated steel bracelet
Water resistance
30 m
Limited-edition status
Limited edition of 88 pieces
Compare this reference

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions
43 mm
Case thickness
9.4 mm
Case material
Sapphire crystal case
Bezel
Fluted 18k gold
Crystal
Flat sapphire with Cyclops lens
Dial
Mother-of-pearl
Hands
Blued steel Breguet-style hands
Indexes
Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
Bracelet / strap
Integrated steel bracelet
Clasp / buckle
Folding clasp in matching case metal
Water resistance
30 m

Movement

Movement / calibre
Calibre 15A — In-house manual-winding
Movement type
Automatic, self-winding
Frequency
21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve
70 hours
Number of jewels
27 jewels
Complications
Perpetual calendar
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds
Watchmaker
The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.

Production & market

Production period
2010 – 2015
Limited-edition quantity
88 pieces
Current market information
Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.

Designer

Gérald Genta

Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.

Historical significance

IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 43 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire sits within IWC Schaffhausen's Ingenieur line, introduced in 2010. It carries the house codes established since 1868 — sapphire crystal case case, mother-of-pearl dial and in-house manual-winding — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

  • The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
  • The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
  • The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
IW

The House

IWC Schaffhausen

Brand facts

Founding year
1868
Founder
Florentine Ariosto Jones
Headquarters
Switzerland
Tier
Luxury
Major collections
Portugieser, Pilot's Watch, Portofino, Ingenieur, Aquatimer, Da Vinci
Signature technologies
Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Certified chronometer regulation
Famous movements
In-house manual-winding · In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house automatic chronograph · In-house automatic, chronometer certified
Notable watches
IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser 38 mm Blue 18k (2000) · IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser 40 mm Black Carbon (1962) · IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser 38 mm Silvered 18k (1987) · IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser 36 mm Slate Grade (1991)

Brand history

IWC Schaffhausen has spent more than 158 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Portugieser, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Florentine Ariosto Jones established IWC Schaffhausen in 1868, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every IWC Schaffhausen calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

  1. 1868

    Florentine Ariosto Jones founds IWC Schaffhausen in Switzerland.

  2. 1899

    IWC Schaffhausen earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.

  3. 1969

    The quartz era forces IWC Schaffhausen to redefine mechanical watchmaking.

  4. 1990

    IWC Schaffhausen enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.

  5. 2024

    IWC Schaffhausen continues to produce Portugieser, Pilot's Watch, Portofino and other icons in limited numbers.

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