IWC Aquatimer

The IWC Aquatimer, ref. 3536-003, has a storied history despite being a modern wristwatch. It represents the triumphant reissue of the classic Aquatimer line, which was launched in 1967 with the Reference 1815. The Reference 1815 was IWC's first attempt at a dive watch, released in an era when IWC had tough competition from Rolex (with the Submariner) and Blancpain (with the Fifty Fathoms).  At the time, IWC was known mainly for its pilot's watches, epitomized by the Mark XI. Despite the fierce rivalry between Rolex and Blancpain to develop a dive watch, IWC seemed resistant to the trend. With the Fifty Fathom's association with Jacques Cousteau, and the Submariner's as-then unsurpassed depth rating of 200m, there seemed little room for improvement in dive watches.  But IWC quietly developed a prototype of the watch that would become the Aquatimer in 1964. The first reference of Aquatimer available for retail, the ref. 1815, was released in 1967. It featured the same automatic movement