Designer Giorgio Armani spotted wearing a IWC

Giorgio Armani, the Milan-based fashion designer who redefined menswear minimalism, appears in a 1981 portrait by Richard Avedon wearing an IWC SL Design Quartz ref. IW4507 in black PVD-coated titanium. The photograph, archived by the Avedon Foundation, captures Armani at the height of his influence, his wrist displaying a watch that embodied the same design philosophy driving his collections: functional elegance stripped of excess.

The IWC SL Design Quartz ref. IW4507 emerged from a two-decade partnership between IWC Schaffhausen and Porsche Design—a collaboration that produced some of the 1970s and early 1980s' most influential instrument watches. The ref. IW4507 houses a quartz calibre in a 33mm PVD-coated titanium case, a material choice that reflected IWC's commitment to durability and corrosion resistance. The dial is a study in legibility: applied indices, a minimalist hour and minute hand set, and a date window at 3 o'clock. The bracelet, also titanium with a folding clasp, integrates seamlessly with the case. Water resistance reaches 50 metres—sufficient for daily wear but positioned as a dress instrument rather than a sports tool.

Collectors have historically overlooked the SL Design Quartz line, particularly the smaller references, due to their classification as "women's watches" or dress-watch variants. Yet the ref. IW4507's specifications and materials place it among the most refined quartz designs of its era. Its PVD coating, uncommon for IWC at the time, gave it a technical, almost utilitarian appearance that contrasted sharply with the yellow-gold dress watches dominating luxury retail. The scarcity of well-preserved examples in the market reflects both limited production and the watch's survival rate—titanium, though durable, is prone to surface scratching.

Armani's documented wearing of the ref. IW4507 in 1981 aligns with his earlier documented choice to wear an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak II ref. 8638ST in 1978. Both selections reveal Armani's eye for avant-garde watchmaking untethered from tradition. The Italian designer did not wear famous watches; he wore watches that embodied philosophy. The IWC SL Design Quartz ref. IW4507 was a tool-watch for intellectuals, a dress-watch for engineers—precisely the artifact Armani's aesthetic would embrace.

Today, the ref. IW4507 in titanium occupies a quiet corner of the vintage IWC market. Grey-market examples typically command between $1,200 and $2,000 USD, depending on condition and provenance. Original examples with unpolished cases and intact PVD coatings fetch premiums. Retail pricing for the model during production likely ranged between $800 and $1,200, positioning it as an accessible entry to Porsche Design's technical vision. The watch remains undervalued relative to its historical significance and the prestige of its provenance.