I first stumbled upon IWC around 1998. I was at Boston's Logan Airport Signature Jet Lounge waiting for a short charter to Martha's Vineyard. Saw a gentleman across the room wearing a Chronograph. Black dial. Sort of "flight instrument looking" like the Bell & Ross by Sinn Pilot Chrono I was wearing -but the bracelet on this gentleman's watch was neat. It wasn't tapered. It was "wide" and made up of tiny links. I needed to know what it was - and after some research, I learned it was the 3706 Pilot Chrono in Steel. I went to a dealer and got the catalog and became engrossed in IWC.
Less than 2 years later I bought my first IWC, the 3713 Pilots Double Chronograph. Throughout this period, I was so amazed with the 3750 DaVinci. The fact I could have a complicated watch, with Moonphase and perpetual calendar and chronograph- I was just obsessed. I remember the Hanno Burtscher sketches in the catalogs and framed images at watch dealers. After a few more IWCs: GST Perpetual, Portuguese 2000, Aquatimer Cousteau Divers, Big Pilot, Portuguese Chrono Automatic, Portuguese 5001 Auto, Portuguese Perpetual on and on - I never warmed-up to the vintage-looking "script logo". It looked too 70s or 80s to me. In SEP 2002, I recall sitting on top of the Munot in Schaffhausen with Kurt Klaus, Hanno Burtscher, and several collectors including Nelson, Jim, Tilo, Martin, Bjorn, Larry and others listening to Kurt Klaus tell the story of how the 5251 was the "practice run" for the DaVinci. Make something nice, with gold flusse and a Moonphase in a precious metal to test the market to see if the world is ready for a luxury watch like the one they had in mind (the DaVinci).... when another very dear collector offered me this watch, something clicked. I am so glad for the years we enjoyed Ralph's company on the forum and at events in New York, Geneva, Schaffhausen, and in London where our wives met and we dined at a fantastic place near Covent Garden. In addition to fondly remembering the fun times with my friend Ralph - especially late one eve in Schaffhausen at the Guterhof Bar along the Rhine - I paid the check, but he cried "I have Swiss Beer Vouchers!!" Holding up several hundred CHF - so we continued to drink, to put his "beer vouchers" to work.
It's amazing to see the friendships and memories here. I think my friend Ralph somehow changed my mind and got me to appreciate that old "script logo"...let's see where that takes me...
