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Mitteilung

Pioneering Astronomical Watch Launched by IWC at ESO’s Paranal Observatory

29. August 2011

The unique location of ESO’s Paranal Observatory, in the middle of the Atacama Desert in Chile, was the venue chosen by the prestigious Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen to launch a pioneering technological achievement: the Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia, a watch that combines solar time with sidereal time, together with astronomical displays such as a chart of the stars overhead for a given geographical location.

The Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia is the most complex timepiece ever created by IWC, in perfect harmony with the high precision requirements of the astronomical observations at Paranal. “With a history already stretching back over 140 years, IWC sets a new benchmark with this watch. No wonder IWC decided to premier this watchmaking milestone at the Very Large Telescope,” says Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

Media professionals from all over the world attended the event and experienced the unique ambience as the domes opened at sunset. They also made a nighttime visit to the operations centre of the Very Large Telescope, where the astronomers control the telescopes to make the observations that allow them to explore the Universe.