IWC Cal.89 18K 1947 Oversize 37mm

Description

It is said that owning a vintage IWC is something everyone with a serious interest in vintage watches should aspire to. A strong statement perhaps, but a little time spent researching IWC and their ’50s & ’60s watches, will very likely lead one to the same conclusion. In essence, this is because during the 1950s and 1960s, IWC determined they would manufacture some of the very best watches ever made and quite simply, this is what they achieved! The craftsmanship, technical excellence and sheer beauty of their exquisite movements and cases, manufactured during the ‘golden age’ of watch-making, has never been beaten – perhaps equalled occasionally, but never beaten!

An IWC is often referred to as a ‘watchmaker’s watch’. This is simply because watchmakers love them, both to work on and to own. This is due to the design, technical excellence and particularly the sheer beauty of their watch movements.

The watch here is quite spectacular, being both oversized at 37mm diameter and having ‘teardrop’ lugs and a stepped case design, not to mention of course, the amazingly good condition, but this is just what lies on the surface. Underneath we find a truly iconic movement, the Cal.89 which has certainly stood the test of time, remaining in production for both civilian and military use for over 40 years!

The Movement

Many consider the IWC Cal.89 to be one of the great manually wound movements of the 20th century. The movement was originally developed in 1946 by the genius in watchmaking, Albert Pellaton, who designed this movement to meet the most demanding and highly rigorous specifications of the British Ministry of Defence. Each movement went through a 44-day testing period in five positions and ranging in temperature from -5° to +46° C. It was produced for military use continuously for over 30 years and became ‘The standard’ for military grade timepieces.  The movement also became an IWC mainstay for the commercial market, remaining in production until the mid-1990s.

We have already touched on the craftsmanship and sheer beauty of IWC movements. Some examples of the extra care and attention are the finishing applied to the bridges or plates, characterised by a series of arc-grained bars etched lightly onto bridges or plates, creating a wave-like effect. This is known as a ‘Geneva Wave’ finish. Further, all the edges of the plates are beautifully bevelled which is very difficult and time-consuming to achieve. Lastly, each of the ruby jewels is set in brass ‘chantons’ which are then screwed into the plates rather than setting the jewel directly into the plates. These are just the kind of details which set IWC apart.

The movement has been fully overhauled by a Master Watchmaker. This means stripping the watch down to all its component parts, careful inspection under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only genuine IWC parts, then careful reassembly and adjustment before final calibration in 5 positions. This watch therefore winds, sets and runs accurately and reliably, within +11 seconds per day, averaged over 5 positions and also has a 44-hour power reserve when fully wound. Please bear in mind this is outstanding for any watch of this age. We are therefore highly confident in offering 12 months warranty with this watch movement*.

The movement is all correctly signed ‘International Watch Co’ and ‘Swiss’ with both the Calibre number and the serial number 1,160,713 which date this watch to 1947.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.

The Case

The very high quality, oversized 18ct Yellow Gold watch case measures a massive 37mm in diameter, excluding the crown. The design and craftsmanship here really is something special. The stepped case improves the profile and adds character to the watch, making it seem slightly larger than it actually is. The beautifully sculpted swept back teardrop lugs have flowing form and significantly elevate the status of the watch. This is all nothing less than pure class.

The high polished full thickness case-back has never been inscribed. The main case body, bezel and case-back are all in beautiful condition with no scratches, dings or other damage visible to the naked eye, therefore the case has simply required a professional clean and gentle hand polish, to bring back the almost new look of the watch. The case-back of this watch is unsigned.

The Dial

This is a beautifully understated dial in slightly Off-White with yellow gold 1 – 12 numerals and the original, restored, yellow gold ‘Leaf’ style hands. The dial is signed with the infinitely more attractive, early, International Watch Company, Schaffhausen signature. This is the original dial which has been sympathetically restored to the very highest standards by the best vintage watch dial restorers in the UK.

The Strap and Buckle

The watch is fitted with a new, high quality Brown Hirsch Alligator embossed strap, which suits the watch perfectly and the strap is fitted is with a generic gold plated buckle. However, if a different colour or different style strap is preferred please let us know and we will do our best to provide your choice, free of charge.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the movement, case numbers and hallmarks all match, dating the watch to 1947. A detailed written receipt, with our written 12 months warranty*, our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee and a separate Insurance Valuation for the replacement value will be provided at the time of sale.

The presentation box shown in the photographs is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

This is a truly first class example of a 1947 IWC 18ct dress watch which is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care it will make an excellent investment and heirloom piece. IWC will always command huge respect in the high-end watch market and consequently, prices are always rock solid. We are therefore sure this will make a great acquisition for any collector to wear, or simply to treasure and enjoy!

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be very fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we welcome part exchanges, along with outright purchases of similar watches for us to restore, service and list. We can also offer Watch Service, Watch Repair & Watch Restoration, please see here.

If you have any questions please call 020 7727 7095 or 07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas on +44 7515 949250.

We are here, ready, available and awaiting your call!

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine Vintage Gold Watches!

Thank you.