I recently purchased a vintage 18K IWC that appears to have a Cal. 852 movement, movement serial approximately 1,270,236, in a roughly 36mm gold case.
The dial is signed “International Watch Co. / Schaffhausen” but does not say “Automatic.”
I’ve read that Cal. 89 and the Cal. 85x family may share the same dial-foot positions, so I’m wondering whether this could be:
- an original no-“Automatic” Cal. 852 dial,
- a genuine Cal. 89 dial fitted later,
- or something else.
The watch appears mechanically correct and the dial fits the case cleanly. I’m mainly trying to understand originality and whether this dial configuration is known on early Cal. 852 watches.
I’d especially appreciate input from anyone familiar with early-1950s IWC dress watches, Cal. 852/853 dial interchangeability, or period catalog examples.
I’ve attached photos of the dial, movement, and inside caseback. Any thoughts on the likely originality of the dial/case/movement combination would be greatly appreciated.
