Help Identifying IWC "Disco Volante" Cal. 86

this is my disco volante cal.
401

Magnificent- show a picture of the dial side too please.

it is a pity,
but the dial is not so nice like the back, but I don't like to modify the
vintage
watch....

Magnificent piece - dial patina is part of the heritage of the watch.

the case back engraving - amazing!

Hi, can
anyone help identify this IWC watch, I think it's from the 30s but I know
nothing else about it.

Looks like a re-dialled longines.

I'd think later than '30's regardless of what's inside it.

Stephenn, only way we can really help is if you get some with the correct
skills to open the watch and send us pictures of the movement and the inside
of the case back.

is there anything engraved on the rear of the watch?

Hi,
thanks for getting back in touch so quickly.

So it looks like this is something that you haven't seen before with IWC. I
cannot see the notch to take the case back off but it might be under one of
the lugs, but I think it is a snap back case. I wondered if it was the
original strap, looks like it has been there for a long time! Nothing on the
case back I'm afraid but here is another pic.

I'll try to take the case back off and will take some pics if I do.

Cheers!

Hi, I have been able to open the case, here's a few pictures of the movement
and the back of the case. Any information on the watch would be great, hanks
for
looking.e,
here are some pictures of the inside.

The movement number is 1003774 and the case back number is 1004365

According to the Date Your IWC App

Your watch is a Cal 61 from 1939, with a case dating to 1938!

The dial however, does not appear to date to 1938

Hi Mark

Thanks for the information, that's great to know. I'm really interested in the
dial too and the logo in particular. I've seen this logo in IWC watches from
40s. What do you make of the logo? Do you think it correct for that time? Do
you know when they started to use this logo? Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks

Stephen

Hi Stephen

I'm no expert on dials of this period, there are others who know far more than
me.

I'm basing my observations on the minute track which is odd and the layout
doesn't look right.

But I might be completely wrong

Hello stephen....the case and movement numberings are not dates the item came
to market but manafacturing dates, folk were a bit busy in '38/'39 and with a
dial usually being the last to a build i'd think the watch was forties and the
dial executed under license remote from schaffhausens more usual avenues. Nice
to see it open ( thank you) , i think longines and omega used the same case.

Hi Catherine, yes good point, governments were a bit busy back then! I
personally love the watch, especially the case. It is a small watch but it is
really nice to wear (but could probably do with a new strap).

So I guess then that the movement, case and case back were possibly made pre-
war, then after the war the movement and case were assembled into a dial of
that era?

There's a Longines website where you can identify their models over the years
and I saw this one, which, although the case is different, the dial looks very
close to this watch, and they started making that particular model in 1941

vintagewatchresources.com/watches/longines-
professional/

Would it be worth sending to IWC for an appraisal do you think? I'd love
to know more about the watch and the calibre 61 movement, apparently not many
were made and this is an early example. Do IWC keep a history of all the
different models?

Thanks for all your input everyone, really appreciate it.

Best wishes

Stephen

.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge on these unusual watches!

It's lovely to see a few other examples have surfaced since sharing my watch a
couple of weeks ago. All so different and unique in their own way.

May the search continue for some more, exciting pieces!

Hello,

So just a quick update. I went to the GB flagship IWC store on Bond street
today to get their opinion. They were really nice and spent a good amount of
time
looking at the watch. Their in house watch person (v nice guy) said that it
looks like the lugs
were repaired at some point but that in itself was not that unusual for a
watch of this era but he had not seen a case design like this
before, and he thought that the watch movement, dial and case back itself
seemed original but was stumped on the case housing as the opinion was that
there would be very little reason to make a new case housing given that the
dial, movement and case back looked original and everything fitted together
securely. (He also said the movement was very dirty and needed a good
service!) They took some photos send to someone at IWC (but I can't remember
his name but they said he follows the forum). So who knows, it would be great
to find out if the case is original. The front of house lady (from Greece) was
super nice and knowledgeable and took / and shared photos from the IWC
museum too. Altogether a very nice experience from the IWC store staff who
gave a lot of their time and advice and didn't have to so I really appreciated
it. I hope to get a better understanding of this watch and hopefully I will be
able to update you either way soon. (Thanks for all your comments too.)

Hi there Stephenn,

I am trying to build a database of Disco Volante watches by IWC. I was wondering if you could maybe send me some additonal pictures on my email : k.simon@hotmail.com . Any help is much aprpeciated. Thank you in advance :)