Correct Box and Buckle for Late 50s cal. 852

Hello everyone,

I have a 1957 Cal. 852 that has quickly become the jewel of my watch collection. I genuinely consider it a perfect watch; I can't believe they aren't worth double what people are charging. My watch;
 

It was an absolute bargain at $1160USD. I'm not sure I can say the same for its accessories though..

From what I can tell from researching old forum posts, the correct box should be dark green with a slightly rounded clamshell shape and the cursive logo on the inside of the lid. I can't find any recent sold listings of this style box online, but there are two listed for sale; one is a Hong Kong-based seller on eBay asking $700! No thank you. Another is from a seller on a local sales page, asking $260. It has been listed for over 6 months with no takers, and they outright refuse negotiations in their description so I suspect they will continue to hold it for the forseeable future at that price.

The most expensive IWC box I could find that successfully sold was about $140 with unsigned warranty papers, though it appeared to be from the late 60s (gold squared-off box with block letter IWC logo.)

Another issue is the buckle; I have no idea what the correct buckle is supposed to look like. The prices also seem to be pretty random online, going anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars for a 16mm buckle. Most of the complete sets I see online have AM buckles, and a "full set" 1957 cal. 89 I found for sale is in a 1960s box with a new Portofino buckle! I have seen replicas of them on AliExpress, so it may not even be a real incorrect buckle..

Can anyone show me what a genuine box and buckle should look like for a 1957 cal. 852, and roughly how much I should reasonably expect to pay for them? Much appreciated! 

There is no definitive information that I have found on the dates of the various boxes used by IWC. I have one Cal 88 that was never worn and came with all of its original parts - box, strap, buckle, papers - dated 1947, so I know that box is at least from the 40s. The buckle was not signed, so I believe the first signed buckles appeared in the 50s: 

Here is the buckle from the 40s:

As for the boxes, there were many variations - here are a few - and the green box you reference came in several different colors - green, blue, red, black.

In the next photo, you'll see long boxes that I believe were used in the 50s but I can't be certain. I think most boxes were eventually discarded as no one considered them important. Buckles most likely got lost or discarded during strap changes.

I understand your desire to have the proper accoutrements for your C852, but its simply hard to know its original packaging, though I'm fairly certain the above IWC buckle is period correct. Neither of these items will greatly affect the value of your watch and I agree that they should sell for far more than they do. You can take comfort knowing you got a great watch at a great price!

Good luck on your hunt!

T 

Hi Terry,

whow, what a gorgeous Cal 88 watch. I love the dial with the square indexes on 1, 2, 4, 5,...

looking for one like this since long time.

br Cromagnonman

Terry, these old watch boxes really take up a lot of space. If you have too many of them lying around, I can certainly help. 

;-) Cromagnonman

Thanks! If you’d like to read about how I acquired it, here’s a link to the story:

http://tnr.homestead.com/TheWatchThatNeverGrewOld.html

It’s hard for me to believe I’ve now left it unworn for 23-years, but it just feels like I should preserve its original condition. 

Cheers!

 

To wear or not to wear?

That is the question…….

Great story Terry. 
I loved reading it! 
 

What an amazing story. I'd have to wear the watch though. If only on special occasions. If your not going to wear it then someone else will one day.

Thank you so much for your detailed response! It helped me to understand how varied the box selection was at this time, so I decided to branch out a bit. Luckily, I managed to find a box with a signed warranty card from 1957! Lucky me. Interestingly, it is the same brown box as the one you have with your late 1940s cal. 88. I suppose it’s impossible to prove the box matches the paperwork, but that would be a rather strange matching if so. 

I’ll post a picture after I get home, but for some reason my box only seems to want to open halfway. Do you happen to have a picture of the back and hinges? Much appreciated.

Here are the pics. The box opens as shown below

Thanks again! So my box is not the vinyl/leather material of yours, but rather thin wood with a leather patterned paper glued to the outside. I guess it's not wanting to open fully because the paper is catching at the hinge? I don't want to damage it, so if someone can explain what is causing this I would greatly appreciate it. Here are some pictures;