IWC Schaffhausen – Aquatimer Chronograph Edition“50 Years Science for Galapagos” (Ref. IW379504) & Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands” (Ref. IW379502)

With the special edition Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos”, limited to 500 watches, IWC honours the 50th anniversary of the Charles Darwin Research Station, a scientific institution set up by the Charles Darwin Foundation on the Galapagos Islands.

Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos”, Ref. IW379504

The Aquatimer Chrono graph Edition “Galapagos Islands”, with identical technology, is an expression of IWC’s commitment to the threatened archipelago. For the first time ever, this special edition is equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement. Both watches are powered by the in-house 89365 calibre and come with an attractive black rubber coating.

Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands”, REF. IW379502

Hardly any other man of science has changed our view of the world like Charles Darwin. The findings of the expedition made by the British naturalist, who discovered the key to his theory of evolution on the Galapagos Islands almost 180 years ago, are clearly illustrated in the Research Station on Santa Cruz.

The Charles Darwin Research Station, on the second-largest island in the archipelago, was built in 1964 and is today indisputably the scientific centre of the Galapagos. Over 100 scientists, students, teachers and volunteers from all over the globe work tirelessly to research the indigenous flora and fauna and to preserve the Galapagos World Heritage Site from destruction.

The Station trains national park guides, organizes seminars for teachers and students, publishes the findings of its research and collects donations. Children and young people are introduced to the topic of environmental protection through a combination of teaching, art and entertainment. All these efforts are made because the laboratory of evolution is seriously threatened.

The Charles Darwin Research Station which is indispensable for the preservation of biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, IWC has created the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition“50 Years Science for Galapagos” (Ref. IW379504), which is limited to 500 pieces.

Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos”, Ref. IW379504

The technically identical Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands” (Ref. IW379502) symbolizes the commitment IWC has shown to the threatened archipelago since 2009.

For the first time ever, this special edition is equipped with the IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre, which has considerably increased its value and status. Part of the proceeds from sales will flow directly into the scientific work of the nonprofit organization.

Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands”, REF. IW379502

The attractive matte black rubber coating on the stainless steel case is a special feature of the two Galapagos editions. It is applied in a complex vulcanization process, during which each individual case is placed in a special mould and subjected to heat and pressure to bond it with the rubber.

The material is warm to the touch, very resilient, and gives the watch a chunky feel, which makes the chronograph particularly pleasant to operate. While the Aquatimer Chrono graph Edition “Galapagos Islands” (Ref. IW379502) comes with the familiar black-and-white contrast (black for the lava on the volcanic islands, white for the mist in which they are often shrouded), the hands and indices of the anniversary Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos” (Ref. IW379504) are a striking luminescent blue.

The colour will perhaps remind people familiar with the Galapagos fauna of the exotic blue-footed booby. This engaging bird, which early mariners used to ridicule for its trusting nature and waddling gait, flies skilfully and is a fantastic plunge diver when on the hunt.

Whole flocks of blue-footed boobies nosedive from enormous heights like arrows into the sea in synchronized manoeuvres: an unforgettable natural spectacle. The hands and indices of the two watches are coated with several layers of SuperLumiNova® and glow in the dark in two different colours.

The diver thus knows immediately which display shows the time of the day and which shows his dive time. The new external/internal rotating bezel makes operation easier with diving gloves or cold fingers. The rotation of the bezel is transmitted through a sophisticated sliding clutch system to the interior of the case and the internal rotating bezel.

The IWC SafeDive system ensures that elapsed dive time is not inadvertently shortened. The IWC-manufactured 89365-calibre movement displays elapsed minutes in the upper subdial; times of less than a minute are measured by the central stopwatch hand.

The seconds hand in the lower subdial indicates that the watch is running normally and can be stopped to enable synchronization. Thanks to the integrated flyback function, pressing the reset pushbutton brings the stopwatch hand back to zero and immediately starts timing again: a feature that is ideal for measuring decompression stops.

Case back of Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos”, Ref. IW379504

Like all the watches in the 2014 Aquatimer generation, the two Galapagos editions are equipped with the practical IWC bracelet quick-change system.

Case back of Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands”, REF. IW379502

In the 50 years since its inauguration, the Charles Darwin Research Station has achieved much in its mission to document and preserve one of the Earth’s last great natural paradises. Scientifically controlled breeding programmes have saved several species of the legendary Galapagos giant tortoises from extinction.

In a struggle lasting decades, imported and feral domestic animals such as goats, dogs, cats and pigs, which represent an enormous danger to indigenous species, have been contained. A quarantine programme helps prevent invasive species from making further inroads: a mammoth task in view of the more than 180,000 tourists who visit annually, numerous cruise ships and a busy airport. Successes important for the islands but also for the surrounding waters have been achieved.

In 1998, for instance, a marine reserve was created around the Galapagos. In 2001, the World Heritage Site was extended to include the Galapagos Marine Reserve and became one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. The Galapagos Islands were listed as a World Heritage Site as early as 1978. Many of the creatures on the Galapagos, such as marine iguanas, sea birds and sea lions, whose habitat includes both the land and the sea, benefit from protection.

The Ecuadorian authorities are taking stringent measures to eliminate the practice of finning, when sharks are hunted down and stripped of their fins. But there is still much to do.

The Research Station is currently engaged in a struggle to preserve the mangrove finch, a subspecies of the Darwin finches that is threatened by extinction, and of which there are approximately 70 left. The Station’s pride that the Galapagos Islands have yet to lose a species of bird is equalled only by its ambition that this is the way it should remain.

With these two special editions, the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos” and the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands”,  IWC Schaffhausen is helping to ensure that the Charles Darwin Research Station will be able to continue its vital field research and educational work well into the future; because part of the proceeds from sales goes directly to the Charles Darwin Foundation.

Technical details

Model: IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Galapagos Islands”
Ref. IW379502

Functions
Mechanical external/internal rotating bezel with IWC SafeDive System
Date display
Stopwatch function with minutes and seconds
Small hacking seconds

Movement
IWC in-house calibre 89365 Mechanical chronograph movement
Frequency: 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 35
Power reserve: 68 h
Winding: automatic

Case, dial & strap
Rubber-coated stainless-steel case, black dial, black rubber strap, pin buckle in stainless steel
Diameter: 44 mm
Case height: 17 mm
Glass: sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Water-resistant: 30 bar
Luminescent elements on hands, dial and internal rotating bezel
Screw-in crown
Back engraving
IWC bracelet quick-change system

Model: IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “50 Years Science for Galapagos”
Ref. IW379504

Functions
Mechanical external/internal rotating bezel with IWC SafeDive system
Date display
Stopwatch function with minutes and seconds
Small hacking seconds

Edition
Limited to 500 watches

Movement
IWC in-house calibre 89365, Mechanical chronograph movement
Frequency: 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 35
Power reserve: 68 h
Winding: automatic

Case, dial & strap
Rubber-coated stainless-steel case, black dial, black rubber strap, pin buckle in stainless steel
Luminescent elements on hands, dial and internal rotating bezel
Screw-in crown
Back engraving
IWC bracelet quick-change system
Glass: sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Water-resistant: 30 bar
Diameter: 44 mm
Case height: 17 mm

• Know more about IWC Schaffhausen watch brand and its history.

• Discover more IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN watches (from 2011 to 2022).

• Discover IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN watches archives from 1990 to 2010.