Benzinger – IWC Tourbillon Mystère, a unique timepiece

In 2008 IWC introduced the limited Portugieser Tourbillon Mystère Squelette. Its movement was finished entirely by hand – guilloché, skeletonised and engraved – by Jochen Benzinger. The watch was limited to 50 pieces each in red gold, white gold and platinum, but only about 120 pieces were made before production was stopped in the wake of the financial crisis.

A rose gold skeleton tourbillon watch on a brown strap beside a steel version, both showing their movements — The IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Mystère Squelette

Jochen Benzinger then set out to complete one more example, in a combination that exists nowhere else. The first design of the dial and the finished dial plate:

Technical drawing of the dial layout with Benzinger and IWC-Tourbillon lettering and numbered markers — The first design of the dial

Silver guilloché dial plate with IWC-Tourbillon and Benzinger lettering and cut-outs for the sub-dials — The finished dial plate

The silver dial plate lying beside the finished main plate with tourbillon bridge — First try of the dial on the finished main plate

He also made an exclusive case in red gold with a hand-guilloché bezel, which sets the watch further apart.

Rose gold watch case lying on a technical drawing of the dial — The hand-made red gold case

On 24 October 2014 the finished watch was presented in Jochen Benzinger’s workshop: the Benzinger – IWC Tourbillon Mystère, the only one in this combination.

Rose gold watch with silver dial, tourbillon at the top, blue small seconds and power reserve scale, on a black strap — Benzinger – IWC Tourbillon Mystère

Rose gold watch seen at an angle, with grey dial and tourbillon at the upper left, on a black strap — Angled view of the dial

The dial has a hand-guilloché grain finish and carries the original Breguet frost. The power reserve indication at 3 and 4 o’clock has a scale numbered 1 to 7 that turns from blue to red as the reserve runs down. The opening at 9 o’clock, for the small seconds, gives a view of the going train, and the opening at 12 o’clock frames the tourbillon.

Rose gold case back with the open movement, blue plates and a round IWC medallion under the glass — The case back with its IWC medallion

Rose gold case back with blue plate, skeletonised movement and round medallion, on a brown strap — The hand-finished movement

The movement is entirely hand-finished, and no other exists with this finishing. The hand-made rose gold case measures 44mm.

Rose gold watch with silver dial worn on the wrist, blue tourbillon at the left — On the wrist

Benzinger watches can be ordered through Watch Collector – see Benzinger or get in touch.