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which was the correct buckle, of the day, for the first Pilot watch from the 30'40's ( Mark 1X )
Any help appreciated.

Regards
iwcforme

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Hi Ivan,
I believe your question is a tough one for several reasons. I do not believe that IWC kept records about straps and buckles from around 80 years ago, when the special Watch for Pilots was launched. The catalogues and brochures from those days show the watches and the part of the straps that is attached to the lugs, not the distal parts with the buckles. For sure it were leather straps. But being a natural product, straps form this age have not survived and they have crumbled to pieces. Maybe some buckles have survived..... I never saw one.
Regards,
Adrian.

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Thank you Adrian for your comments. I too, have only seen the watch head shown in brochhures and of course you are right straps from that era will not have easily survived. Unfortunately the buckle could not be seen on the watch in the iWC museum.
I wonder if this style of buckle is appropriate. What do you think?

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that's not right --here's some information

Hi Ivan,

The buckle you show was used on a few models in the 1970s. It is not a 1930s buckle. I had an electronic c. 150 IWC several years ago with a crumbling strap and that buckle.

Also, I wouldn't assume that the buckles shown on the watches in the IWC Museum, even if they could be seen, are correct in such details. There are few if any historians left at IWC with as much knowledge, candidly, as a collector such as you.

There are a few photos, if I recall. of vintage IWC watches with old buckles in the archives. There is even a brass one from the 1930s stamped "IWC", but that is considered atypical. But take a look at this 1930s cal. 87 that is "new old stock" --with its original strap and buckle!

The fact is, back then branding and marketing were less important. Buckles were generic, as shown here.

Regards,
Michael

Thank you for ...........

your findings / comments and information. Its appreciated and as you say perhaps at that time the branding of the buckles was not considered by the mareteers to be as important as it is today .
Interestinglt enough the shape of the 1930's "generic" buckle is strickingly similar to the tang buckles of today?
Thanks again MF
Ivan
iwcforme