I have been asked to post this on behalf of IWC:
Obituary for Jürgen King
We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of our former colleague Jürgen King on 22 January 2015 at the age of 72. For all collectors and friends of the IWC brand, “IWC, International Watch Co. Schaffhausen”, written by Jürgen King together with Hans-Friedrich Tölke, and published in 1986, remains to this day an indispensable reference volume for any and all questions regarding the history of IWC.
Jürgen’s passion was watchmaking. He was born on 9 April 1943 in Schramberg, Schwarzwald (Germany), back then a hub for watchmaking, and he received his master craftsman’s certificate in watchmaking in 1966. Following an apprenticeship in watchmaking at Junghans, he worked in an experimental laboratory for quartz watch technology, becoming a development manager in 1967. In 1971, Jürgen joined IWC Schaffhausen as Quality Manager. Just a few years later, he had already taken over as Technical Director, a position he would fulfil with the utmost dedication for over 20 years. In this capacity, he was involved in major IWC horological innovations, such as the Grande Complication, launched in 1990, and Il Destriero Scafusia, “The Warhorse of Schaffhausen”, launched in 1993. In the course of his work for IWC, Jürgen became a distinguished expert in the field of antimagnetic and nonmagnetic watches. He was instrumental in the development of the world’s first watch able to withstand any magnetic field – the Ingenieur Automatic “500,000 A/m” as well as the development of nonmagnetic diver’s watches for mine clearance divers in the German Armed Forces.
As an avid collector of IWC watches, he was also heavily involved in the construction of the first IWC museum, which opened in 1993, and he also contributed his expertise to the opening of the new museum in 2007. In the final years of his 36-year career at IWC, Jürgen found a new passion in the various aspects of the history of our company and its watches.
For all friends and collectors of IWC watches, Jürgen King will always be remembered as an author and an expert. We are thankful for his many years of service and for the work he has done for IWC, and for this, we honour his memory.
