The Novecento line was introduced by IWC Schaffhausen in the 1980s, an era in which the classic round watch was being consciously challenged. Following the quartz crisis, many luxury brands wanted to demonstrate that mechanical watches could be not only technological marvels but also design statements. IWC responded with a watch that was angular, architectural, and self-assured: the Novecento.

  The name "Novecento" is Italian and means "20th century." It was programmatic: the watch was intended to appear modern, urban, and international – less a traditional Swiss tool watch, more a cosmopolitan luxury object for design-conscious wearers.

  The IWC Novecento Perpetual Calendar (Ref. IW3545) is a highly collectible Art Deco-inspired timepiece.  It is notable for being one of the few rectangular watches to feature an automatic perpetual calendar movement.