• Apprentice
    14 Feb 2017, 9:19 p.m.

    Dear fellow enthusiasts,

    Long-time lurker here, finally decided to register. I'm a big fan of IWC and have finally reached the point in life where I am about to buy my first IWC (well, technically it will be a gift)! I've always had a thing for vintage IWC's and since I have recently graduated medical school, my parents have offered to buy me my favourite vintage IWC (cal. 89, supposedly manufactured in the 1960s). Despite the fact I am very fond of the brand and this timepiece in particular, I have very limited knowledge of the vintage market and have a couple of questions. Any insights would be much appreciated.

    Pictures attached. According to the seller, all parts of this watch are original. The dial however, was likely repainted or reprinted sometime in the past. The case has been polished at least once, which I know is a no-go to purists. In addition to this, the original buckle is missing. I myself had never seen a cal. 89 before with the number of jewels mentioned on it, as well as the fact it is adjusted to 3 positions. A quick google search does seem to show that the movement is authentic.
    I find this a lovely watch and don't intend to sell it as it will serve as a reminder of my graduation. Hence I don't mind the fact it has been polished. I do have a couple of questions concerning authenticity though and would be very happy if anyone familiar with vintage IWC watches could answer any of them.

    1. Does the watch look authentic to you?
    2. Does the dial look repainted/reprinted to you?
    3. Can you give me a rough price range that is reasonable to pay for this model?

    Many thanks in advance!

    Best,

    A fellow fan

    Picture 1 (dial): imgur.com/a/KNz8B
    Picture 2 (movement): imgur.com/a/4XlCJ

  • Master
    15 Feb 2017, 4:04 a.m.

    IWC Caliber 89s are wonderful watches and a great start to your IWC collection. The watch you are looking at is very nice and I'm sure it will make you happy if you decide to get that one.

    You have asked some very important questions. One of which refers to the dial and yes, I would say it's been repainted. I say this because the minute track dots appear uneven, and look painted over.

    My suggestion to you is to wait a while and find a pristine dial like this example, which will be a joy to own for a long time. This is only my opinion and others may disagree with me.

    One like this
    [i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w680/regnimelf3717/IWC/8D2B8C6F-750E-4248-97E3-9A303B25008D_zpsyy0u6krc.jpg](s1335.photobucket.com/user/regnimelf3717/media/IWC/8D2B8C6F-750E-4248-97E3-9A303B25008D_zpsyy0u6krc.jpg.html)

    Expect to pay between $2500 to $5000 for one.

  • Master
    15 Feb 2017, 1:21 p.m.

    A batch of c.89's 3 pos marked where housed in gold sharkfin style cases from the mid '60's (yeah the beatles were hot but elvis was still strutting his stuff), some dribbling on to approx '71..i'm not aware of the movement type being housed in other gold case styles but somebody else might be...the dials original.

    The polished steel ref 810 manual type arriving in the late sixties with a screwback case and a 3 pos 89 would be my tip, a sharp version should be acheivable for under a £k