As a new member, I introduce myself : interview with a collector

• I’m from Pakistan.
• I got interested in IWC after seeing how refined and reliable their watches are. The design and craftsmanship are what really pulled me in.
• I currently own one IWC, and it’s a piece I really enjoy wearing.
• For my next one, I’m still exploring options — there are a couple of IWC “dream pieces” on my list.
• And yes, I’d definitely like to meet other collectors if there’s ever a gathering.
• Work-wise I’m in tech, and in my free time I enjoy gaming and trying out different driving simulators.

Chris watkins 

1. Where are you from ( country/state ) ? United states, minneaota 

2. How did you become a collector of IWC watches ? What was the key factor for you to buy an IWC ? I am a vintage collector and recently started a little cintage watch business with my daughters

3. Which IWC watch(es ) you have ? Mostly vintage ss from the 60s

4. What is your next IWC ? Or your holy grail from IWC ? New ingenuer

5. Are you interested to meet other collectors during a collectors meeting ?yes

6. What is your profession and other hobbies ? Work in finance

I found your group after researching a watch I recently acquired. I think it may be a cal89 zwyro and came here looking for information. 

Hi everyone!

First of all, thank you Tonny, for starting this Thread! I have only recently joined this forum and I would love to get in touch with more IWC collectors. To share the passion is what it is about for me!

/1 I am from Germany

/2 I can't say exactly what attracted me to IWC in the first place. I think I've always been impressed by the minimalist design, especially of the Pilot watches.

/3 I already had several IWC watches in my collection. In fact, one of my first high-quality watches was an IWC meca-quartz pilot's chronograph Ref. 3741-01 in 36 mm that I bought with 15 or 16 for a few hundred Euros on eBay. Over time, I added other brands to my collection, but I never really got away from IWC. A Flieger-Chrono Ref. IW377701 and a Mark XVII Tribute to Mark 11 followed, but they did not stay in my collection for long. Not because they are not great watches, but I think the Big Pilot was always what I really wanted. I think that at the latest since John Mayer (big fan of his music and watch collecting) prominently featured the watch, it had to be a Big Pilot for me. Since I am particularly interested in rare watches produced in small quantities, I recently fulfilled a dream of owning a Big Pilot ‘Tribute to Japan’ IW500418. I would love to present the watch again in a separate thread.

/4 I think my holy grail would be the Big Pilot “Safari”. I think there is not a more beautiful watch.

/5 Yes, absolutely! I find I spent to little time talking about watches and my wife can only handle so much^^ So I would love to meet other collectors!

/6 I work in academia and besides watches I love motorcycling, music, travelling and Golden Retrievers

Hello
My name is Alain
I live in France
I love all models made before the 1980s.
For their understated elegance and class

Welcome to the Forum, magistvgratisapk, and congrats on your Mark XVIII! Please do post some photos of your beautiful watch when you have a chance!

welcome to the fourm

Hello Tonny and everyone,
thank you for the warm welcome. I’m happy to introduce myself and be part of this collectors’ community.

1. Where are you from?
   I’m based in the Middle East, but I travel quite often for both work and leisure.
2. How did you become a collector of IWC watches?
   My interest in IWC started after seeing one up close on a colleague’s wrist many years ago. What stood out to me was the balance between engineering, understated design, and heritage. IWC doesn’t feel flashy; it feels purposeful, and that really appealed to me.
3. Which IWC watch(es) do you have?
   Currently, I own an IWC Pilot’s Watch, which I wear regularly. I appreciate how versatile it is — equally suitable for casual wear and more formal settings.
4. What is your next IWC or holy grail?
   My long-term goal is an IWC Big Pilot, particularly one of the classic editions. I admire its history and iconic design, and it feels like a milestone piece for any IWC collector.
5. Are you interested in meeting other collectors?
   Yes, absolutely. I think meeting fellow collectors and exchanging stories, experiences, and knowledge is one of the best parts of collecting.
6. Profession and other hobbies?
   I work in the digital and online services space, and outside of watches, I enjoy travel, photography, and writing. I also like reading about craftsmanship and design — topics I sometimes explore on platforms , which often highlights interesting work and creative projects across different fields.

Looking forward to learning from everyone here and sharing experiences along the way.
Best regards to all members!

Hello from Montréal, Canada.

The first time I ever heard of IWC was when I was in Boston, around 1994, to see a photo exhibit.  In my time off, I walked around the city, taking pictures- I'm a street photographer, so I let my eyes and my feet lead me.  At one point, I found myself across the street from a posh-looking shop called European Watch Company.  I was wearing a Seiko 1/100-seconds chronograph- I was already interested in watches, but didn't know anything about them, except that I coveted a Rolex GMT-Master.  Anyway, I went in, a ball of sweat in jeans and a T-shirt, off the street.

"Good afternoon, sir."  A young man, impeccably dressed in a sober two-piece suit.

"Good afternoon.  I'm just... curious.  May I please have a quick look around?"

"Certainly!  And if there's anything you'd like a closer look at, just ask."

"Thank you."  I walked around, looking at various brand displays, lingering at Rolex, which made me salivate, strolling past a bunch of other stuff I'd never consider buying, and then I came to the IWC case.  I scanned it, yeah, okay, right, bunch of chi-chi chronographs with no lume, some weird integrated-bracelet things, and then one watch stopped me cold.  I almost touched my nose to the glass.  The young salesman spotted me, and calmly walked over.  I pointed.  "What.  On Earth. Is that?"

"That's the Mark Twelve.  It's a modern recreation of a watch produced for the British Royal Air Force in the late 1940s.  Would you like to see it?"

"Yes, please."

He put the white gloves on, hauled out his keys, opened the cabinet, and placed the watch on one of those baize pads.  Slid it across to me.

"Try it on, if you wish."

I picked it up, hefted it.  My eyes bulged.  "This isn't stainless steel."  I'm a metals geek.  I know a bit about density.

"You're in fact correct, sir.  The normal ones are cased in steel, but this one's cased in platinum."

"Platinum."  I'd never even seen platinum, never mind held any in my hand.  IWC and that severe, practical, black-dialed watch that was selling for roughly 4 years of my rent immediately entered my consciousness.

Thirty years later, I'm not so much a collector as an aficionado and daily wearer of interesting tool and instrument and waterproof watches, most of them produced before 1970.  The key factor behind my finally acquiring my first and only IWC, an Ingenieur ref. 866 AD, was how uncommon and unusual it is- I'm not likely to see another one on the street in this part of the world, nor is anyone apt to recognize it.  Add to that its sober yet gorgeous appearance, its high legibility, its fine movement (cal. 8541), a case diameter that looks perfectly-proportioned in this day and age, and its amagnetic properties...  It's kinetic sculpture.  Wearable art.  And, with that amag equipment, it carries a secret.

What's next?  I think I already have my grail IWC, but I'd purely love to find a Mark 11 or a Mark XII on a flea-market table.   Should I win the lottery or find vast petroleum reserves under my kitchen counter, though, I'd not hesitate to fill a suitcase with cash and fly off in search of a clean ref. 812 AD Aquatimer.

I would love to sit at a table covered with similar old anachronisms and talk watches with like-minded people.

My interests outside of watches include street and portrait photography, clay pigeon shooting, kayaking, open-water swimming, and writing short fiction recreationally.   I'm also fond of cooking, making bread, and classic cocktails.

1. Where are you from ( country/state ) ?
Croatia

2. How did you become a collector of IWC watches ? What was the key factor for you to buy an IWC ?
I saw a Mark XV in a store and i had to have it

3. Which IWC watch(es ) you have ?
IWC 3741 and Mark XV

4. What is your next IWC ? Or your holy grail from IWC ?
Mark XX

5. Are you interested to meet other collectors during a collectors meeting ?
Absoultely

6. What is your profession and other hobbies ?

I'm an Archaeologist :)

Hi everyone,
I’m here to learn, share experiences, and connect with others in the community. I work with design and digital tools regularly and enjoy improving workflows and solving practical issues. Looking forward to learning from your insights and contributing wherever I can.

Thanks for having me here!

1. I am from Northern Germany

2. My husband Martin D. gave me some IWC as present. I do like watches with a discreet look.

3. Ocean500, Mark XII Lady, Shark Fin Cal. 89, 2 Portofino, Cal.  401 steel and some other Porsche Design watches.

4. Maybe something in Gold - depends on the husband :-)

5. Certainly - having met some collectors already during GTG in Amsterdam or Schaffhausen.

Greetings Ursula

Hello everyone,

I’m joining the community after spending the last few years focusing my collection on a disciplined, single-manufacture study of IWC’s mechanical heritage. My goal has been to curate a "technical trinity" that covers the engineering milestones of Air, Sea, and (soon) Land.

I prioritize instrumental integrity and movements that represent a specific leap in horological evolution. My current sub-collections are organized as follows:

1. The Nautical Masters (Sea):

Portugieser Doppelchronograph (IW371202): I consider this the pinnacle of Habring’s split-seconds engineering—integrating a high complication into such a slim manual-wind profile is still a masterclass in efficiency.

Portugieser 7-Day Automatic (IW500107): A study in energy harvesting. My specific example has been updated with the hardened steel winding wheels and ceramic pawls to bring the Calibre 51011 up to modern manufacture standards.

Portugieser Chronograph Classic (IW390404): My most recent addition. It serves as the bridge between the "Railway Track" aesthetics of 1939 and the modern, integrated Calibre 89361 flyback architecture.

2. The Aviation Icons (Air):

Big Pilot’s Watch "Le Petit Prince" (IW501002): Essential for the twin-barrel architecture of the Calibre 52111 and its torque delivery over a 168-hour cycle.

Pilot’s Chronograph TOP GUN (IW389001): A material science study in zirconium oxide ceramic and titanium.

3. The Field Specialists (Heritage):

Mark XVIII Heritage (IW327006): I chose this specifically for the Grade 5 Titanium construction paired with the Faraday Cage for anti-magnetic protection.

Mark XVII (IW326504): Representing the modern navigator's tool, specifically for the micro-adjustment engineering in the steel bracelet.

The Road Ahead: To complete this technical trinity, I am currently researching the Ingenieur Automatic 40 (IW328901). For me, the Genta legacy and the 120-hour power reserve of the Calibre 32111 represent the logical conclusion to this "Civil Engineering" study.

I look forward to discussing movement architecture, material durability, and the future of the manufacture with you all

Best, N!

Hello, I'm pleased to join this community. I live in Colorado, USA, where I am a university professor in an engineering discipline. 

I became interested in IWC originally through my father, who wore a 1960s automatic IWC daily for as long as I could remember. When he passed, I inherited that watch, along with two IWC pocket watches, including a very nice example in a gold case. 

I have added to that collection slightly over the years, and have a very nice little automatic from the early 1950s, two cal 89 watches from the 1960s, and a ref 666AD Ingenieur circa 1960. 

I am a member of several watch enthusiast groups, including the NAWCC, and always enjoy meeting other collectors. Aside from watches, I enjoy the outdoors and the mountains, and spend a lot of time in the wilderness.

Hi everyone,

I'm a student from Germany.

I started my collection with an IWC Ingenieur 3350 that I bought at a watch fair and then repaired myself.

I currently own a 1950s automatic with the Calibre 852, as well as my Ingenieur and a Ref. 3280.

My dream watch is an Ingenieur perpetual calendar ref. 3540.

I am interested in meeting other collectors.

I'm currently a student who previously completed a watchmaker apprenticeship, and I enjoy restoring and repairing watches in my free time.

I am looking forward to learning and contributing to this community.