Sometimes, aftter more than 12 years of moderating this forum, I think I've seen every IWC model in the past 30 years. And then along come one I've never seen:
I believe it was a special model for the Japanese market on the 120th anniversary of IWC. It's interesting to me that it was a manual wind, small seconds watch, and the movement looks like it was gilded (like the other anniversary watches from 1988).
Thanks for sharing that, Michael!
Just goes to show - we can learn something new everyday :-)
Wow! That is really different from anything I've seen here! Interesting watch...thanks, Michael!
Fascinating pictures but how has this one never seen the light of day before? I gather it is Portofino based? Any idea on the size?
Where did you stumble across the pictures?
Hello Michael, I do remember reading somewhere about this watch. I saw it a few times for sale on the net, not often though. The story I heard about it is that it was made as a side-product for the Japanese market in addition to the 1993 Jubilee.
The Jubilee being too big for the smaller Japanese average wrists.
...and I hoped I had never seen it. :-)
Was there any design involved? Or was it put together by a committee?
Different market, different taste, different era, Tony!
What size is it though and what is the movement?
Tonny,
wasn't it ref. 2010-004? Which, by the way, I've discovered thanks to Michael as well.
Perhaps, you could be right, the presence of so many "8" on the dial could make it attractive to a man from the Far East (just a guess).
I remember I saw once a dial like that for sale, I mean the whole watch, but it looked fake to me, the dial Michael posted looks much better crafted; not my taste of dial but this one has surely some dignity and then, it's rare!
Thanks Michael for another discovery.
Edit: Which is its reference?
Indeed Roberto, I am getting old, my memory sometimes plays tricks on me.
The watch I discribed was indeed the 2010-004, here is a tread
www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/2704/
And some more I found :
www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/10450/
I had not seen this piece before. In fact, when I first saw it I thought it was either a fake or a joke.
While we differ in opinion quite often, here we agree quite a bit. Special, OK, beautiful, or even tasteful, no, not in the least, in my opinion of course. One never is sure but I think, and hope that such a watch is not possible anymore at IWC as we know it now. But wait, why bother that much? Nobody could force me to buy one.
Kind regards,
Paul
It's not very pretty. But, as has been noted, different market to me I guess.
Thanks, Michael.
Definitely not to my taste, but interesting nonetheless as part of IWC history and, as it's been said, the japanese market was/is rather peculiar.
@Clepsydra
Lol! António, for sure it was a committee ;-)
Cheers!
Wow - a pseudo world premiere after 25 years !
There's a "similar" but different model celebrating the 130 years in the IWC museum. That is a chrono version if I memory serves me well c
David - are you reading ?
Compared to a photo, you know how different watches can look/feel when you see them in the metal? Well this one would definetly require it. I'm just saying...
Thanks for the other info Tonny. I do like the back, but the front.....
Greetings,
Bob
Hi Alan
Definitely not IWC best moment. On the other hand, IWC got it perfectly right with the 1993 Jubilee.
I can't make up my mind also a few days after about this watch. Still, it is very interesting. Thank you for sharing it, Michael.
Wasn't this the "Digital Dual Year" complication ? I thought I read something about this.
LOL Andy, The "calendar function" is permanently stuck between 1868 and 1988!
This watch is a 2532/04, Portofino Hand Wound. Fitted with calibre 4231, a gold plated, small second version of calibre 423 which was used throughout the 1970's. There were also white dial/black Roman numeral and silver dial/gold baton versions.
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