19 years ago I could not resist to buy this beautiful watch, as I was looking
for a reliable and durable watch with a 2nd time-zone function.But a few years
later I stowed it in a afe place and many other watches offering a time-zone
mechanism found their way onto my wrist.Recently I decided to wear this
beautiful IWC again. But it needed a careful overhaul, cleaning and definitely
new oils and greases. Because I did´nt use it that often since it´s last
service at the IWC´s workshop in Schaffhausen in 2010, tear and wear was
minimal and no new parts were needed.
Since I made a training to become a watchmaker, I overhaul my watches by
myself and this watch found it´s way to my watchmaker´s bench.
After removing
the dial the 24-hrs.-disk and date-ring will appear. The 24-hrs.-disk is hold
in place by the
dial.
After
removing the 24-hrs.-disk you can see the hour wheel, actually made of 2 hour
wheels. The lower part is driven by the movement´s minute wheel, the upper
part can be set forward or backward in 1-hr.-steps, also driving the date
wheel, visible at the 6 o´clock position.The large wheel at the 10 o´clock
position is the 24-hrs.-wheel driving the 24.-hrs.-disk.
Mounted on top of the base movement is the date driving and date disk module.
The wheel marked with a red circle has to be exactly positioned in order to
make the date correctly appear in the date window. If the teeth of the wheels
are not properly aligned the date will ´hang at an angle´ in the date window.
Work
accomplished!
To hide such a beautifully decorated movement is definitely a sin. But to
offer good protection against magnetism there is no other way than to put the
movement behind soft iron. Even the dial is made of it! Making it very
difficult to produce compared to brass.
Not used for some years, now everything is back in working order, the balance
wheel oscillating between 290 and 305 degrees, the beat error at 0 ms. and
with a stable accuracy in 5 positions of approx. +2 sec./day even IWC would be
satisfied.
Brought back to it´s old glory. Of course, I tested the case to be waterproof
up to nearly 100 metres.Ready to be used again and bringing back memories of
where on our planet I was wearing this watch. On all continents. Except
Antarctica.
But this can still be done, since I am enjoying my early retirement now.
