IWC Romana 2050 Perpetual Calendar

This is the IWC Romana Perpetual Calendar reference 2050. Founded in 1868 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, the brand IWC has a rich history of producing aviator wristwatches since the early 20th century. More renowned for models such as the Big Pilot and the Mark 11 that have been mainstays of the brand’s collection even till now, there is a lesser-known but no less important part of IWC’s lineage is the production of the perpetual calendar complication.

Originally envisioned by the hallowed Kurt Klaus and brought to life in 1985, the perpetual calendar is one of the most revered complications in high horology. A complication that considers not only the time, day, month and year, it also counts for leap years and automatically accounts for the extra day on a leap year. While many brands have produced perpetual calendars in various forms, Kurt Klaus devised one of the best ways for a perpetual calendar to be set - by merely using the crown and without any additional need for pushers. This culminated in the first reference IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph reference 3750 which was not only aesthetically distinct but also incorporated the ease of operating the complication through the crown.

The aforementioned reference 2050 was introduced in 1995 as part of the Portofino line. At the time of introduction, the 2050 was the world’s slimmest perpetual calendar with a height of only 3.15mm. Powered by the manual-wind Cal. 84961 and undoubtedly a dressier variant, the dial remains legible despite the large amount of information including the day, date, month, year and moonphase. Though the movement is manual-winding as opposed to the original automatic, it still retains the core idea of Kurt Klaus’ invention that carries over from the original and allows all of the functions to be set with relative ease.

While the reference may not be the most well-known, it is undoubtedly an excellent representation of the neo-vintage era with its moderate case dimensions and high complication. Truly a value proposition with a perpetual calendar housed in a platinum case and produced over a short period of approximately three years, the Romana remains once of the best kept secrets from the period with a timeless design that remains relevant even until today.

This IWC 2050 is in very good pre-owned condition for its age. There are some clear hairline scratches and signs of wear notably on the bezel from prior use but the case has no dings or dents. The dial shows no sign of age and the sapphire crystal has no flaws. The hallmarks and caseback engravings remain deep and legible. There is some wear on the lugs from prior strap changes. The watch retains its original guarantee card dated 1998 with the original IWC strap and buckle and is in full working order.

Brand IWC

Model Romana

Reference 2050

Case 36mm

Movement Manual Wind

Case material Platinum

Bracelet material Leather

Year 1998

Condition Very Good

Accessories Original Guarantee Card

Limited No. Discontinued