Destriero Scafusia The "Destriero Scafusia" was developed for the 125th anniversary of the International Watch Co. in 1993. Made in a limited edition of 125 examples in yellow gold, rose gold and platinum, the last watch was fi nished on Dec. 31, 1999 at 11:59:59 P.M. The Cal. 1868 contains no fewer than 750 parts, individually manufactured, hand-fi nished and adjusted, to ensure minimal friction and the harmonious interaction of its 21 complex functions and displays. Like the "Da Vinci", it is a secular perpetual calendar watch with a four-digit display for the year, an IWC exclusive. IWC also holds a patent on the minute-repeater slide mechanism which protects the movement from moisture and dust, a problem associated with less sophisticated slides. The tourbillon mechanism alone has almost 100 tiny parts, of a total weight of merely 0.296 grams. The innovative use of non-magnetic and lightweight titanium for the cage ensures an unrivaled standard of accuracy. A true masterpiece, the "Destriero" is assembled and regulated with utmost care.
I.W.C. American-born Florentine Ariosto Jones began manufacturing high-quality movements and parts for the American market in the 1870s, using American technology and skilled Swiss labor. However, the workers in Geneva and the remote Jura mountain valleys resisted the plans of this "intruder", until Jones teamed up with Johann Heinrich Moser from Schaffhausen, who had built a hydrostation in Schaffhausen powered by water from the Rhine. In 1868, Jones created the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen. The fi rst watches with the Jones caliber had many advanced technical features. A year after its foundation, the "American" watch factory passed into Swiss hands, but its philosophy - "Probus Scafusia" (solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen) - remained unchanged.