IWC Cal. 88 Ref number?

Hi, new here, with some question regarding a watch I was gifted. Been checking different sites for age, and am getting different results. One site says 1950, another that the movement isfrom 51 and the case from 53.
What I mostly would like to know, is the reference number for this as the current crystal is not original, and it seems impossible to find one without the ref nr.
This watch was sold new in Norway by the way. Have been looking for pictures of identical ones, but only found 2 more, both on Scandinavian watch forums. Could this be a Scandinavia only model?
Any information would be highly appreciated.

[](s1156.photobucket.com/user/Sturla64/media/IWC%20Cal%2088_zpsja2ktrkk.jpg.html)
[](s1156.photobucket.com/user/Sturla64/media/IWC%20Back_zpssawt31v5.jpg.html)
[](s1156.photobucket.com/user/Sturla64/media/IWC%20Bonklip_zpswibihxnd.jpg.html)
[](s1156.photobucket.com/user/Sturla64/media/IWC%20crown_zpsibx95zmt.jpg.html)

The DateYourIWC utility which you used and which states "The movement is a calibre 88, dating from the year 1951.
The case was most probably produced resp. delivered around 1953." is in line with what Tolke & King list - so I would say the watch was sold in 1953 or 1954.

In those days, the individual style watches did not carry Ref. Numbers like we know them today, so the only way to get the crystal replaced by IWC is to send the watch into an authorized service centre.

As for a special edition for Scandinavia- I doubt it. Some pieces were specifically (later) designed and sold into the Japanese market, but as I am aware that was the only niche market in those years.

Nice piece - suggest a professional cleaning and service. I would also suggest to put it on a nice leather strap.

The two watches on the lower row, with cal 83 and cal 61, are both Ref 304 and were sold to Gyllenberg,Stockholm, Sweden in the early 1940s.
The watch on the center has a cal 83 but the Reference is unknown.
.

Some of the Abstruse ref 309's have an habit of always showing up in scandinavia

Thank you very much for your comments and input. Watch has now been cleaned and serviced, and am looking for a suitable strap, thinking about un-padded pigskin, but 16mm is a difficult size, at least here in Bangkok. Altough I personally like the Bon-Klip bracelet.
There is an engraving in the back, NUF16, that members of the Norwegian watchmakers association use to mark new watches. Have sent them a mail asking for information on the original vendor for this.

It would be interesting to hear their responce.

Look forward to your follow up post.

So, I got a reply from them yesterday, stating that NUF 16 was the company Anton Hedels in Oslo, started sometimes mid 1800 and dissolved 1972. The code 4/54 under the NUF number is likely to be month/year it was sold according to them.

If anyone finds a NUF number on their watches, will look like N_F followed by a 1 to 3 digit number, send a request to:

post(at)urmakerforbundet.no, they are very helpfull.