HOW DID YOUR FASCINATION FOR MECHANICAL WATCHES START?

Hello everyone, my name is Konstantinos, i'm from Greece ( i know that you're not really excited, haha ) and i'm new in this forum!

My passion for watches started when my grandfather bought me a Breitling Chronomat 2 years ago. When i saw it i was really excited. I remember when i asked him: Grandpa, how much does it cost? And when he told me the price, i couldn't believe it. By this day and after, i started to explore the world of watchmaking. I registered in a greek forum and i learned a lot of things. Lots of companies. I realized why these watches are so expensive.

My favourite companies are: Breitling, IWC, Ulysse Nardin and Audemars Piguet! :)

My intrest for mechanical watches started when I first bought the Henry Graves Supercompilation from 1932 and the Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon. I then was very interested in the field of uniqueness of watches and from that, I bought the Grenade Complication from IWC. But I only wear these watches in special types of occasions.

Because the batterie in my quartz run out.
Cheers
Bas Dekkers

Because the batterie in my quartz run out.
Cheers
Bas Dekkers

Because the batterie in my quartz run out.
Cheers
Bas Dekkers

Mine started with another brand, and another Bond. After reading one of the Bond novels in which Bond takes his watch from his wrist, places it over his knuckles and uses it to render a bad guy unconscious, I said to myself that I had to look into a watch that would absorb such treatment and still function. It was a Rolex, and that was my first purchase of fine mechanical watches. 1973, Red Dial, $325 dollars. My parents thought I'd lost my mind. Since then, many more, including my current IWC family consisting of a Mk XII, a 1951 vintage Mk XI, and a 5002 Big Pilot. Looking forward to learning from fellow collectors on this forum.

My mother used to tell that she caught me trying to disassemble a large clock when I was barely four years old. When I was a teen I saw a wonderful watch in display: it was brilliant, very well crafted and it had a Moon, and the Moon moved. Since the I am in love with complications. Today I write (non technical notes) for a magazine devoted to high-end watches.

My love affair with IWC and the mechanical watch began in 1994, but it was a very long distant relationship to begin with.

I was sitting at my desk in the bank in 1994 one day reading one of the glossy magazines that comes with the Friday newspaper and I came across a full page ad for the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (3750)and read all about it and thought WOW what a wonderful watch, I should get myself one of these. (I knew they were going to be expensive but thought I was doing pretty well for myself at the time and thought I might be able to afford one and had decided then and there that if they were $3,000 then I would buy one and even if they were $5,000 to $6,000 then I could still probably afford it) At the bottom of the ad it said for a free brochure call this number and one will be sent to you. So I called the number and requested a brochure (expecting perhaps a 3 pages glossy brochure) but could you imagine my surprise 2 weeks later when a hard bound 176 page book arrived in the mail telling me all about the IWC Da Vinci and all their other watches. I was amazed at the workmanship that went into building such watches and read about each model, but I just kept coming back to the Da Vinci.

I didn't do much about trying to find the watch at the time, I went into a couple of places where they sold watches but they either hadn't heard of IWC or didn't stock them, so I just let it go, until about 6 months later a Finance Broker that I dealt with wanted to place a deal for the importer of IWC watches and I asked him to get me a price list. A week later he arrives at my office with the price list (and tried to hit me up for a job at the same time (but he didn't get one)) and after excitedly grabbing the list to see what it was going to cost me for my new Da Vinci, I was utterly shattered when I read that the retail price for the watch was AUD$68,000 (at the time the australian dollar was very low against most currencies $1 AUD = USD0.67 and 0.81CHF plus there was a 30% luxury tax on luxury watches plus import duties as well) and even though I could have probably got a decent discount through the wholesaler my dream of owning a Da Vinci seemed dead.

Even though this was a major set back I couldn't help but dreaming about the Da Vinci, every time I saw an IWC dealer I would go in and look at their watches (amazingly at the time the IWC dealers didn't seem to have too many (if any Da Vinci's in stock, they only seemed to carry the cheaper models)). This habit continued for the next 17 years ( I did buy myself a nice Longines 9ct gold watch in 1996 which I still have and love) until earlier this year when I decided that finally it was time to realise my dream, so I started looking around for the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 3750 (I didn't really like the newer models and wanted the watch I had seen in that magazine ad all those years ago). After a lot of research and a few false starts where I thought I had found the watch that I was looking for only to have one sold out from under me (even though the dealer said he would hold it until Monday for me) and almost getting sucked in by a fraudulent website (very sophisticated) trying to sell me a 3750 (which I managed to avoid thanks to all the great information I received from fellow IWC lovers in this forum (many thanks once again) I finally came across a 3750 being sold by a dealer in Switzerland and he was only about 20 kms from Shaffhausen, so I decided to buy it and then travel to Switzerland to collect it and visit the IWC museum at the same time. (The IWC museum is one of the most amazing places I have seen, could spend days in there looking at their watches) The watch was a Da Vinci in Rose gold with a white face, which is very rare. That was in October this year and my love for the watch grows every time I put it in my wrist. I love the craftsmanship of IWC watches and have since added a Portofino automatic to my collection and hope to be adding a couple more soon.

Here is a pic of my Da Vinci

Women have diamond necklaces, earrings and rings. Men have mechanical watches. There is nothing better than the feeling of buying a new IWC and understanding the sheer level of craftsmanship, care and expertise that has gone into its making. I am constantly complimented on the looks of my watch; however few understand the quality behind its exterior.

I own in my collection the number one of the series 1830 Saint Exupery... is for sale...

When I first saw an IWC PORTUGUESE CHRONOGRAPH in a retailers window. I thought it was very nice and have now finally bought one for myself.

It all started with a Lepine Pocket Watch Cal. 52 from 1914. My wife´s grandfather owned it. When he passed away many years ago the three granddaughters agreed that my wife will keep the pocketwatch safe until they decide who should own it. Now, we still take care of it, I wind it once per month and I am still fascinated by this good old piece of timekeeping. This is how it started. The fascination continued with the Fliegerchrono, an Omega Speedmaster Professional from 1970 and a Rolex GMT Master II bought recently. It will go on with an inhouse movement from Schaffhausen again. I hope that my son will take care of them when he grows up.

Good evening,
Do you have any experience with the accuracy of IWC UTC A. d´ Saint Exupery? I just recently bought one piece of this limited edition, but I would like to be sure, that the accuracy is " in the limit"
Thanks tomshare the experience

Well, it started when my wife and I looked for our wedding rings two years ago. I'm hooked ever since and finally for christmas I got my first IWC (yacht club).

Kind regards,
Frank

It All started with antique clocks, now watches. I have a question about a gold schaffhausen automatic with heavy gold strap - basically what year was it made, how many were made. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

yeah here is too much attraction all arround..

It was more than 13 years ago, back in 1998, when I had started a new job. I was already drawn to good looking wrist watches at that time. My new boss was wearing a great watch with a brushed metal look and a black dial that caught my eyes during all the meetings with him. At a lunch I asked him what he was wearing and he proudly told me that this is an IWC Pilots' chronograph. It was on the steel bracelet. I hadn't known IWC before so I started to gather information about the brand.
After several years of informing and daring I ended up with my first IWC watch: In 2001 on September 27th I bought the Mark XV first on a black buffalo strap. A few weeks later I aquired the metal bracelet. But then I had to tell my wife that I spent so much money for a watch.
She wasn't very happy but she understood me. Maybe it helped that I bought a nice mechanical watch for her as well. ;-)
2 weeks before I bought the Mark XV I joined this forum in its first year and got lots of understanding and fellowship that I enjoy for more than 10 years now.
It still is very tough for me to buy something new from Schaffhausen. That's why I really make up my mind a long time before I go for a new watch. And then normally something else from my small collection has to leave to raise the funds for the new baby.
That's why the Mark XV had to go, together with 2 more watches - to buy my Portugieser Automatic (500107) back in 2006.
My small collection is 2 watches now. The advantage is: I can wear it all together on 2 wrists if I want.
Now that I really want a Portugieser Yacht Club (steel - black dial) and the new Pilots' watches can be spotted on the horizon I'm starting to make up my mind again to "update" my collection. Probably 2012 will be another exciting IWC watch year.
Happy new year to everybody!
Tilo