Newbie to Forum and Totally Smitten

Hello everyone

This is Jeannine from Singapore. I do not like to wear a watch and hence I depend heavily on my iPhone to check time.

Am I not wearing a watch because I do not like to or because I have not found a watch I love enough?

Not until I saw this in the display at a secondhand watch dealer could I answer my question.
[](s1364.photobucket.com/user/J9Foo/media/photo_zps35d0df85.jpg.html)

Owner said it is definitely genuine and he will give me 2 years warranty for the watch on top of that he will include a new and original IWC leather strap.

When I asked him if it's the right strap for this model, he did not sound very sure either.

When was this piece produced?
"Age doesn't matter. Most important is that this piece is in very good condition."

What model and movement?
Silence

Any idea how much does this piece cost when it was introduced?
"This piece is a very good buy, Madam."

If he had more knowledge of what he is selling, I am sure this piece will be on my wrist as I type this.

Totally smitten and equally clueless. Can someone enlightened me about this pretty piece?

Cheers

J9

Hmm, I almost thought that I recognised it, but while comparing pictures there were some differences. Do you know how big it is?

It reminded me of the older small Da Vinci, 29 mm, but that had a moon at the top. The pushers looked a bit different too. It was in the catalogue for several years until 2006. It had a mecaquartz movement: the movement itself was quartz, the chrono mechanical. The price in Switzerland in 2006 was around CHF 4000, depending on the dial. Maybe there was a small SL version that looked like the watch you saw.

Are you sure the watch is genuine, and not a maybe well made fake? Maybe you should ask at an AD, although it is quite possible they don't know about such an older watch. Take care, good luck!

Kind regards,
Paul

Welcome to the forum. The right place for your questions. Your watch looks like the Portofino ladies chronograph from around 1990. It had ref. nr 3730. I have seen the model with black dial and to me this one seems authentic.

Jeanine, it's a ref. 3730 mecaquartz from the late 1980s. It is genuine and it has little to do with the Da Vinci ladies' model.

Here is the page from the 1988 dealers' book:

Hello

Thanks Michael, Norberts and Sunflower for your replies! At the very least now I know it's a 3730 and it is going to be in its 30's soon :p

Michael is really sweet to have found me the model on the dealer's book. When I called IWC boutique in Spore earlier,they say their records only showed this model in black dial and I did wonder then if what i saw was a well made fake since it has a white dial.

Friends have been telling me I should just get a more recent model of IWC. But ladies model is no longer available isn't it? I find that this piece looks classic and the face is small enough to be worn with flirty flowy dresses. That said,I don't want the second hand dealer to be ripping me off either. Can I have an idea what's the ceiling price I should be paying for this piece?

And what should I look out for when I seal the deal? I am a novice in timepieces. This piece got me checking on the jargons and parts of a watch. I am beginning to sense the addiction IWC brings about!!!!

Cheers
J9

HI Jeannine,

well the new Portofino range does look nice.. as for the size it should not be too big, had that problem and i hit it against something and cause a dig in the the case (not and IWC but i had a different big mistake with my leather strap IWC).

you can try coming up to Malaysia some areas do carry second hand IWC but something like the 3730 i really have not seen.. its usually the newer Ingenieur range.

Have Fun picking one!!
(pretty sure it wont be long after this you go hunting for another)

Tan

Welcome to The Forum and good luck with the deal, Jeannine.

I hope it will be your first of many IWCs.

Did you have a look at the current Portofino Collection?
Despite the larger size you might find something you'll like there.

All the best!

Let's try to find some decent answers. If the Da Vinci in 2006 cost CHF 4000, then the Portofino without moon would have cost maybe CHF 2500 in say 1990. Then, quartz movements are not worth as much as mechanical movements, so say a maximum of 40% as a second hand watch. So, CHF 1000 maximum, maybe even half of it. I wonder what kinds of comments I will get.

As quartz movements do not last forever, I certainly would check how well it runs. Maybe you can get some guarantee for the movement. Has it been checked by an official IWC dealer recently? Can you get your money back if it stops running within a year?

I hope this all makes sense, I am on thin ice as I never bought second hand watches. Good luck to you though, if you really like the watch, go for it!

Kind regards,
Paul

With respect, because the forum is non-commercial we can't discuss prices of particular watches, especially ones for sale. I apologize if that's inconvenient, but our regulars should know this.

Sunflower, you can't calculate the cost of a used or vintage watch based on original sales price. You also can't speculate on the cost with or without a moon or a moon versus a chrono. And you can't calculate quartz vs. automatic based on guessed percentages (for example, the mecaquartz pilot's watch sells often for more than 40% of some of the 3706 pilot's chronos). Honestly, stabs in the dark aren't helpful even if we could discuss pricing. Only market comparables, based on supply and demand, govern.