Mark Xll advise

Hi all, I have been in the market for a Mark XII for quite a while now. Finally I have my sight on 2 more potential candidates. My question now is whether this watch is the 'everyday workhorse' or the 'occasional antique' ? Obviously my aim is a classy everyday time piece, so will it suffice?

Hi,
It was never designed as a fragile 'dress watch' which would now be considered an 'occasional antique'.
Externally, it has a very solid steel case, screw-down crown & sapphire crystal. Inside is a fantastic, JLC based, 884 movement which is protected from magnetisim by an extremly robust Faraday cage of soft iron.
Although you could classify it as an 'everyday workhorse', in my opinion, it is the pinnacle of automatic pilots watches produced by IWC..or anyone else.
Don't let the opportunity to acquire one pass you by.
Leo

Buy one at ones(!)
Didn't really solled mine but have it worn by a friend with an option to buy back for the same price. Got to little wristtime with me, but everytime I see it it gives me stomach pains..
But then again I do not have 9 wrists...
cheers
PS you won't regret an XII for sure

I'll certainly respect Leo's judgement and input here. I would only say that I have read many reports over the years that the JLC movement can sometimes be a bit finicky. For that reason, if I wanted a true "workhorse" I would probably consider a Mark XV as a possible alternate.

Leo/Bas ... I could not find the LIKE button under your posts!
Dick, you made the call, so now for a brief & direct comparison between the 2 models - xii vs xv?

First, let me point out that neither the Mark XII nor the Mark XV were one watch. Both were a series of regular and special models. For an excellent discussion, refer to the article by IWC Forum friends Nelson Herring, Hans Goerter, and Adrian van der Meijden at this link:

www.goerter.de/IWCFORUM/MARK%20XII%20SE_English.pdf

Assuming you are considering the two base models, I think the primary differences are movement and case diameter. The Mark XII utilized a JLC movement and measured 36mm, while the Mark XV utilized an ETA 2892 modified by IWC and measured 38mm.

There are many detailed descriptions of each of these watches that you can find using the search function on this site (spyglass icon at upper right) or via Google.

Good luck with your decision. Please post pictures once you have landed your prize.