IWC Aquatimer 'Super Compressor'

When one thinks of a dive watch, IWC isn’t a brand that springs immediately to mind.

Despite other companies taking the lead in the dive watch race, however, the Schaffhausen-based firm has contributed significantly to the aquatic scene. Their compressor-cased Aquatimers from the late 1960s have since become collectible classics, while the Ocean 2000 designed with none other than Ferdinand Porsche was one of the first titanium-cased divers. All in all, the pilot’s watch-focused company has had quite an impact on the design of undersea timekeepers.

This particular Aquatimer, a Reference 812, dates back to the second half of the 20th century and flaunts the classic twin crown display, date window, and black dial that made this one of IWC iconic designs. Launched in 1967, the Aquatimer 812 was designed to take on the Submariner with its EPSA compressor-style case.

“How does it work?” — you might ask. Rotating the upper crown counterclockwise activates the inner bezel display, while rotating in the clockwise direction locks the inner display in place.

Pretty cool.

In addition to the elapsed-time display, the luminous, matte-black dial features rectangular indices, a matching handset, and a date indicator with a tone-matching date disc at 3 o’clock.

In recent years, the IWC Aquatimer has become a popular favorite across the watch industry, and these vintage classics have become incredibly collectable as some of the coolest vintage divers on the market that get less attention than they deserve! Across its entire production run, it is estimated that not more than 2000 examples were made!

This IWC Aquatimer is it!