IWC pocket watch

Hello,

I am very happy to have found this forum and I would like to ask for yout help.
My grandfather left me an IWC pocket watch and I would like to know more about it's history and maybe what model it is and the year it was manufactured. I don't have any knowledge about watches so this is why I am asking for your help.
It is made from gold and on the interior case it has engraved some medals and " Grand Prix Milano 1906".
I will attach some photos because I don't know any other details.
Thank you in advance for your help!

b FAQ about how to show pictures[/b]

I just looked at the FAQ to see whether any information is available about how to show pictures here. It is not there, but there is information in FAQ which I am sure is really hardly ever asked about. Maybe an idea to add the relevant information there? Other fora do, which I find very useful.

Kind regards,
Paul, wearing rose gold VC Portuguese

b FAQ about how to show pictures[/b]

Oh. I am sorry I only konw noticed that my pictures are not visible. I have uploaded from another website since there is no option to uploade directly from my PC. I don't know what to do...

IWC pocket watch

Since the pictures are not visible (and I don't knnow how to make them) I thought that maybe the numbers engraved on it's case could be of assistance:
- on the first case : 465858
- and on the second one: 65858

Here is some Help......

First, Welcome to the IWC Collectors Forum.

 I have attached instructions written by our moderator Michael Friedberg (MF)

You have to upload your photos to an online photo service such as photobucket. This is a popular free site.
Once you have done this. Copy the Direct Link information from

your photograph and paste it into the Image URL box on this forum.
Remember only one http:// can be in your photos information so you will have to erase one of them.
Once this is done, Hit the preview message to make sure your image is visible.

That's It...Easy

Good Luck,

-Joe

How to post images.

as a small addenda......

For Diana's information, her images are already at a host --flickr.com-- but she posted the html page URL rather than for the photos, which end in .jpg. I'm not sure how flickr shows images, so she either needs to right-click on the images to see if she can find the jpg URL or it might be easier to use a different host.

For Paul's information, a FAQ would be nice. Until that's done, that's why I prepared a page which usually can be found by searching the archives. Trying to be constructive, I usually direct people to the post when there's an image posting problem.

IWC pocket watch

Thank you very much for your help, I finally succeded. I really hope that this photos are of help.

IWC pocket watch

I am interested in particular about the medals. What are they for?

Diana, here's your photos and some information

Even though you may see your photos hosted on fickr, apparently that host doesn't allow links from outside websites. We get a message that the photo is unavailable.

You have what is called a Called 52 pocket watch, which is the name for the movement.. Calibre 52s were produced in almost 300,000 examples from the 1890s to about 1940, and is the most common movement produced by IWC. Varying cases and dials were used. You can read a little more about them at

www.iwcforum.com/Articles/MFPocketWatches/text2.html

Also, you can see examples and movement details in the Vintage Catalogs of the era at
www.iwcforum.com/Vintage_Catalogs.html

The engraving was typical of the era --and unfortunately was more "marketing" than anything special for this watch. It was an international exhibition held in Milan in 1906. I haven't checked the archived posts here but there may be more about the Fair. The engraving doesn't really add value to the watch.

You also might wish to check the archived posts here --there's much more on Calibre 52s and possibly something on the Milan fair.

Good luck,
Michael

Diana, here's your photos and some information

Thank you very much for your help.

IWC pocket watch

Diana, You write:

• on the first case : 465858
• and on the second one: 65858

If by "the first case" you mean the actual movement serial number, then the movement was probably manufactured in 1910. If the other way round and the 465858 number is on the case, and the 65858 on the movement, then the movement probably is from around the year 1891 with the the case was most probably having been produced/delivered around 1910.

However, you can best via this site, request an extract from the register and get the exact dates and info on where and to whom it was first sold. Also, if the watch has any value to you (emotionally or otherwise) you might also consider sending the watch back to Schafhausen for refurbishment. It takes a while and costs some, but you will have a trully nice and perfectly restored piece of history back, when you receive it returned from the factory.

IWC pocket watch

Thank you very much for your advices.
The case has two back covers, on the exterior one it has 465858 and on the interior one it has 65858. Also the movement is marked with 428650 and underneath it has a sign like a cross with a smaller number: 31457.
Which one of these numbers should I provide for the extract because I can enter only one for each ( case and movement)?

your case and movement numbers are....

case: 465858
movement: 438650

This means that this is a calibre 52 watch for which the movement was produced in 1908, and the watch was probably sold around 1910. That dating is also consistent with the 1906 Milan engraving.