Is it possible to restore this watch ?

Well the good news is that it is, indeed, possible to repair / restore the watch.
I have received an email from the Bond Street boutique detailing the list of work that needs doing.
The not so good news is that it's going to be rather expensive.
I'd just like to ask you good people if you think I'm completely crazy for wanting to spend twice (at least) what the watch would be worth in monetary terms to bring it back to life.
I am inclined to go ahead because dad loved the watch and my husband loved the watch and wore it himself until it no longer functioned.
And monetary value means not a jot compared to sentiment.
However, the Scrooge in me is sitting on my shoulder screaming "HOW MUCH ??" in my ear.
I'd just like to mull it over with a few IWC enthusiasts here if no-one minds.
Oh, and the work is expected to take approximately 20 weeks.
Thoughts anyone please ?

One thing I can guarantee you is you aren't going to get sensible advice here!
Obviously we can't advise you what to do but I can offer these observations

1. It's a great watch and deserves to be repaired/restored.
2. The pain of the repair/restoration today will be forgotten by this time next year.
3. The watch will be good for another 20 to 50 years.
4. It's a cherished heirloom that makes cost irrelevant.

I repaired my late Grandfather's Omega Seamaster at a cost of twice its value and I'm glad I did and don't regret that for a single moment!

Please keep us updated on what you decide to do.
(Me personally, I would do it!)

I have met a collector of IWC that totalled over 60 IWC watches, some with a value of over £20k, I asked him what his most precious watch was? "My father's Sekonda." I understood that without a seconds delay.
I enjoy wearing Dad's watch and my regret is that I have no one to pass it on to.
You will be restoring a piece of family history and yes that is its real value to me, so just do it.

Thanks for your thoughts Marc and Greg, I'm grateful for your encouragement.
I don't think there was ever an option in my mind not to have it restored, I just needed a bit of re-assurance that it's not a completely mad and spendthrift way of using not unlimited funds when the same amount could almost buy a brand new IWC.
Almost.
And I dare not discuss with the other Scrooges in my family.......

(Wishing you could see the smile on my face and hear the chuckle).

And in a few weeks I will try to post a photo. of that brand new watch that I fell in love with and did buy for my husband.
But it's under wraps at the moment until our anniversary at Christmas.

Well!! This is getting better and better :o)
Can't wait to see the new addition

Well well ThursdaysChild, this is truly an amazing growing story.

Like you, I have previously pondered over sending back to Switzerland old IWC's for restoration. And in my case the majority of those I did send back, were actually pocket watches - so watches that I would never actually get to wear on my wrist or have the pleasure of seeing others dear to me, wear. Yet always on receiving those watches back, and seeing the wonderful work and loving care that those Wizards of Schaffhausen put into their restoration projects, I am overwhelmed with joy and the beauty of it all.

In your case, it's about a personal family heirloom and a wrist watch with a Cal. 85 housed in it. So now that your decision is made - and the wait begins, please allow us to help you on your way further in understanding the beauty of it all. The Cal. 85 is probably one of the best engineered volume produced automatic movements to come out of Switzerland and still today IWC proudly use the one and same (albeit modernized) Pelaton winding system in their in-house movements. If you want to know a bit more about the movement - in a not to technical read, then take a look at this article penned by one of the forum moderators IWC Great Cal.85 Movements

The Wizards of Schaffhausen - did it again!

Many thanks for your kind comments Mark and Mark.
And thanks Mark 8541 for the info. re. the Cal. 85, and the links which I have bookmarked for further reading and reference.
People are so knowledgeable and helpful on here - I'm truly grateful for your kindness and willingness to share.
I have, today, confirmed with the Bond Street boutique my approval to proceed with the necessary work and I hope that I can post photos. here when I finally receive the watch back from those wizards.
But it'll be a good few months 'though.

Hi Thursdayschild,

This is a fantastic thread and one of those feel-good stories to read that seems to have gotten better and better with every post!

One thing Mark said that I read twice was "2. The pain of the repair/restoration today will be forgotten by this time next year.", really is true, especially when you receive the watch and spend minutes looking at the watch spending a lot of effort ACTIVELY looking for scuff marks, chips, or any signs that is is the same watch as the last time you saw it before sending it in. I recently sent my watch in (luckily still under warranty) and when I got it back I was shocked at the quality of work put in, especially since I wasn't charged for it.

A couple years ago I also restored an old Omega Seamaster my grandpa gave me (luckily still alive :)) from the late 80's (generation before the James Bond Seamaster) - Omega also did a great job, but one thing I realized and learned from that and regret doing, maybe something you will consider or not is:
-how much of the original watch you want to keep (if given the option on the work order)
keep original dial/replace dial
keep original hands (even if the glow-in-the-dark material doesn't glow anymore)/replace hands
*keep the original crystal (the glass that prevents you from touching the dial)/replace crystal

These are the physical parts of the watch which you will see everyday and could potentially hold sentimental value for you as well, by that I mean:
- if you replace all those, the watch will look absolutely brand new, it won't look old or vintage anymore, and for a timepiece passed down, having some signs of age can be very nice, but a personal preference
-I know for you it is a timepiece that you will not sell, but collectors of vintage watches (not me), go for the original parts and the vintage look

-most importantly, for us sentimental types, is rather a combination of the above points but additionally if you keep the original parts to be used in the watch, it is truly (on the face of it, pun intended) the original watch from whomever passed down the watch (maybe some parts, like internal gears might have needed to be replaced).

Also the parts that you decide not to replace with new ones will be the same hands your father used to tell time on the same dial looking through the same crystal. Despite the watch being fully restored and looking all shiny brand new, there will be remnants of it's history and ownership that absolutely will be erased if those parts I mentioned are replaced. My grandpa never sent the watch in for servicing and it was a watch that he used for cooking, farming, evening walks, etc, and the scuff marks and dings were records of that usage. Of course any fine watch company will do a great job buffing and polishing (where needed) the case and bracelet of a watch so those signs of wear will be erased, but the parts you can keep original (if you choose so) will still show that history.

Please do keep us posted on the development of your father's watch's restoration and once again this is an fantastic thread!. (in no way am I trying to steal your thunder), but I'm glad this post is my 50th post on this forum!

Francis, thank you for your insight; I did ponder long and hard about how much "intervention" (IWC's term) to opt for before giving my approval to carry out repairs.
And then I realised that actually, I best remember dad wearing a lovely, smart looking watch, and him being proud to own "a good watch" to use his words.
The watch is looking rather the worse for wear now, but this wasn't how my dad left it I think; of course, it would have had signs of wear when dad died, but I believe the following twenty years of use by my husband must have contributed a fair bit to the condition it is in today.
And so I have decided to be guided by the experts and go with their recommendations.
And as I have a son and three grandsons, Mark's comment that " the watch will be good for another 20 to 50 years" kind of swung it for me.

Well, here we are, a couple of months down the line (and a couple of months sooner than expected) and dad's watch is back from Schaffhausen in fine working order again.
I want to say a huge "thank you" to all the knowledgeable and helpful people here, without whose kindness and encouragement I'd not have taken it to the London boutique for assessment.
Your willingness to share information and advice is humbling and I'm truly grateful.
And I must also thank Rob the watchmaker at New Bond Street for his skill in having the watch running within seconds of him looking at it, his patience in explaining the workings of automatic movements to me, and his advice on whether or not to send to Schaffhausen for restoration.
I am just so pleased with the result and we now have a fully working watch that is still a thing of beauty (to my eyes).
The only caveat to my grateful thanks is that I'm not sure that I can afford to be here, which may be explained in the last two photos......

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And, although he's not a member here, I really must mention my son-in-law Matt, who was the one to first suggest I contact IWC, and which in turn led to me finding this forum.

Three words Thursdayschild - WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!

Well done on the restoration and the new acquisitions as well :o)

(I edited my post to suit your edit ;-)

Thank you Mark.
Sorry, I edited my previous post to add an extra photo...
Now I hope to stop there; (I expect you've heard that before).
Anyway, again, thanks to you and everyone on here who were and still are so willing to share.

The restoration made it look brand new! Congratulations on both your old and new purchase!

What happened to the dial?????????

Good result and if you remember the watch looking new etc, then having a spa treatment by the manufacturer was the way to go. If the dial has been replaced by the factory then I am not going to argue against that. Welcome to the world of the watch collector where the virus can take hold and cause GBH to your wallet. Nothing beats getting a family heirloom restored especially if it is as personal as a watch. Just for your info the head of service at London service centre (not the boutique) loves the C.8541 to service, he also pops up on this forum from time to time. Officially the watch should go back to spa town for a future routine service, but if parts aren't required or are available in London then why send it back when there are people who can service it. The photo as part of my signature is a C.8541 that was gilded for last 8541 in a special case.

3 words..

WOW - WoW & WOW!

As we predicted, those Wizzards of Schaffhausen have done a truly amazing job and this beautiful timepiece is good to go for the next 50 years.

But the real nice surprise is those two very contemporary IWC pieces in the last pictures! Welcome to the wonderful world of IWC collecting - übervirus strikes!

Thank you for all your comments; I understand that many prefer the aged look and I respect that point of view.
However, I did think long and hard about what my father would have me do, and I honestly feel he would have done exactly the same.
In fact, I can almost hear him asking why on earth I'd want to keep it in it's old and battered state when I have the opportunity to restore it to as new condition.
And now, it looks the same as I remember it when he wore it as do my husband and son.
And Greg, thanks for the info. re the London service centre; good to know for future reference.
Rob the watchmaker at the boutique said much the same thing re. fixing / servicing here in London.
Regarding watch collector's virus - I had a look at and tried on a 36mm. Pilot while there yesterday - oh my, a beautiful watch and perfect for my small, female wrist.

Wow your watch looks great,
from my point of view, without knowing the price you hadto pay, this watch is wort every pound you invested. It is a true classic havin one of the best automatic movements ever produced.

br
cromagnonman

Fantastic! Enjoy your refreshed watch Thursdayschild!

Hello Thursday...there are no right or wrongs with restoration of vintage watches but there are options and options can be good.

A clean working 8541 mvnt should have been well sourcable for £250....£400 would see you fathers watch complete again with a donor movement on the sub's bench for the future....this route is a double header in that leaves the door open for a full spa once you are well enough versed in vintage watches to know the correct way forward...some folk have cried at the spa first treatment but non have when going down the leaving the option route...just a thought...nice watch....always loved the original vertically brushed dial under 6 coats of lacquer.

Thank you CROMAGNONMAN,
It wasn't cheap I admit, but the watch has had a full spa treatment and is now in beautiful condition and running perfectly so far.
And it even sounds the same as it did in the seventies.
And it's reassuring to read your comment regarding the movement being a good 'un.

And thank you Francis for your comments - much appreciated.

ONEREDTRIM,
Thank you also for your comments; of course, if I'd known of a competent watchmaker I'd have considered the route you suggest.
But I was very wary of watchmakers after the previous experience with this particular watch.
However, I have since been doing a lot of reading on this subject and might learn to trust a couple of watch service places that I have come across recently.
I too think the dial is beautiful - couldn't appreciate it fully before the trip to Schaffhausen as it or the glass was in such poor condition.
The service sheet simply states "dial intervention" so I'm not sure what happened to the dial (as you asked previously).
As to the cost, well, I'm not as young as I used to be and if I don't spend it, the children will just fritter it away.......in fact, my son-in-law would be hot-footing it to his nearest IWC A.D.

I wish I could put a few smiles on this post to show how happy I am with the whole IWC experience.
And special thanks to the forum members who have supplied such a wealth of information and research material over the years.

Thursdayschild, please can you email me under seperate cover (don't worry I don't intend to make an offer on your amazing Cal.85) please use levi@xxx.nl ( where xxx = IAE )

I've followed this thread with particular interest as I too have a 1969 model 810A in yellow gold, which is currently with IWC for service and restoration. It needed a new crown and general service but I'm also having a new set of hands fitted, as well as replacement parts within the movement. I found a gorgeous new strap and buckle for it when visiting London in July and now I can't wait to get it back, cleaned, polished and looking like new!