IWC r347 ?

Hi guys. A recent arrival. A nice, what i would describe as oversized calatrava. The dial looks original to me but I'd like your opinions. The patina is quite unusual but it's even and I quite like it. 

Looks more 647 from here Dan and not very calatrava.

Hi Catherine. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I got the ref from a little bit of research i did but happy to be corrected and yes I think you could be right .

I thought it was this one but maybe not.

Sometimes sellers get ref's and index style incorrect.

Your quite right and I would certainly trust the opinions of those on here. It was a starting point.

Hi Danwales,

i don't want to be rude, but for me the question arises why this beautiful IWC three-hand watch is called “Calatrava”? The name Calatrava is the name of an elegant watch family from Patek Philippe that was launched in the 1930s. Why is this name used for an IWC automatic?

br Cromagnonman

wow that's great

Your of course right. A calatrava should in reality be used to only describe the Patek. I suppose I meant calatrava style. It's a trap many of us casual watch folk fall into. I will attach a pic of a Patek Calatrava and maybe you can see the similarity to my watch. 

It's not similar at all Dan..no calatrava batons, no flat bezel, no thought-out lug spacing...

A lot of far eastern sellers use the calatrava word 7 times in a sentence when describing any wares with any single calatrava design characteristic ( case-middle flow) so frequently ( but not when buying) ..that people do tend to parrot the cala cala calatrava word, to the point of switch-off.

You never mentioned..is your watch 36mm?

Appreciate your positive response pal👌

No bashing Dan ( unless i'm not allowed an opinion) i can assure you...

What i cant unsee is no flat bezel...if its not even got a flat bezel then...its generally a non starter. Calling square-cut batons calatrava is at best mischievous and auto's generally dont enter the pantheon of calatravaness.

Its highly likely your watch is a ref 647 then if it's 36mm...sometimes in watch world the details come down to a mm ( or 2mm in the case of cala cala calatrava lugs).

OK Catherine that's fair enough. I accept your points and I appreciate your help in identifying my watch. I am enjoying wearing it a lot👍

Dear DANWALES,

It's important that you don't feel bashed by us. You are very welcome in our forum. 

You'll find a group of IWC enthusiasts here, some say we're watch idiot savants. For some of us, myself included, details and nuances of watches and movements are the main focus. For others it's more about the overall look of a watch. Please don't take our comments personally.
Your watch is a beauty. The watch case, which is oversized for the time of production, is in very good condition. The dial with the great daupine hands is in keeping with the classic design language. The watch is equipped with an exceptional IWC automatic movement.  The patina on the dial is even, not disturbing and indicates the originality of the dial. The combination of dial, index design and hands was also used in the well-known Ingenieuer Ref. 666 models.

br

Cromagnonman

Thank you. I appreciate your comments. I am aware that this is a collectors forum and standards must be maintained. I think I felt a bit sensitive as I once posted a redialed watch on another well known forum and got slaughtered for it. In fairness it was only by one person and after being on the forum for awhile I realised I was not alone in being the recipient of his somewhat rude and harsh comments. 

Even though I am a keen vintage watch fan and own quite a few, i wouldn't call myself a watch collector. I don't have the nuanced eye for detail needed, collecting certain references is not really important to me.  What i enjoy is the look and more importantly the sheer quality and history of these wonderful objects. I am looking at my IWC this morning and it's keeping time perfectly in sync with my phone. I haven't needed to adjust the time in days.  There is a wonder in that to me.

Have a great day folks.

Hi DANWALES,

yur observation about the accuracy of your watch, which is more than 50 years old, is very relevant. The calibers in the IWC automatic family are of exceptionally high quality. The quality is given by the construction which makes it possible to regulate such a movement accurately even after several decades.

The picture below shows an Ingenieur Ref. 666 with the same dial design as yours (same indexes used). Special to that watch is that it is equipped with Baton sytel hands. Most of the Ref 666 come with dauphine hands.

br

 Cromagnonman

Beautiful watch. Yes the Pellaton movement is what drew me to this watch. I already own an ref1827 with it in and I have heard the movement description as one of the best production automatics ever made.

Hi Danwales, I want to join Cromagnonman in welcoming you to our Forum. Your watch is beautiful and I clearly see why you might compare it to a Calatrava. Please join us more with your great thoughts and watches 

Nelson

Thank you Nelson. 

The IWC R347 refers to a model in the IWC Schaffhausen watch collection, but there isn’t a widely recognized reference like "R347" for a specific model. It’s possible that you're referring to a specific variant or a custom model with that number. IWC typically uses reference numbers such as IW followed by a series of digits (e.g., IW3270).