The science behind IWC’s trailblazing glow-in-the-dark watch
by Luke Benedictus · Australian Financial ReviewLuke BenedictusWatch editor
Sep 9, 2026 – 5.00am
Reinforced with copper rivets, denim jeans were the workwear of choice for miners during the Californian gold rush. Today, they’re the off-duty uniform for most of the western world. Baseball caps, originally designed to keep the sun out of players’ eyes, have become style accessories. Boat shoes, intended to offer traction on slippery decks, are now preppy staples on dry land. In such a way, the design language of an item can over time become more relevant than its functional use.
In the watch world, IWC Schaffhausen is driving a similar trend with luminosity. In 2024, the brand flagged the development of a concept watch made in a glow-in-the-dark material named Ceralume, which combines Super-LumiNova pigments with ceramic powder. This year, it finally became available to buy – in the form of the IWC Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar Ceralume.
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Luke BenedictusWatch editorLuke Benedictus is watch editor of The Australian Financial Review. He also writes about wellness.
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