My first high-end watch purchase, and first IWC!

Hi,
welcome to the forum and congratulations on a purchase you won't regret.
That's a great way to start a collection !!!

Congratulations on your 3227! I have owned that one twice and greatly regret selling it the second time. I now have a Plastiki which I enjoy very much but I do miss my 3227!

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Thank you all so much for the warm welcome again! I feel very fortunate to be able to own and appreciate an IWC watch, and also love seeing all the different Ingenieur variants and models. Thank you for sharing!

Elton, if you don't mind me asking, why did you sell the 3237 twice? There must be something that you truly can't live with?

I really like many Ingenieur models, but in the end I thought I would go for the 3227 as my first IWC for the full experience, if you know what I mean. Perhaps when I'm ready I will acquire the other variants, titanium, chronos, limited editions, or even the 3239.

Overall just really happy to be here. :-)

Congratulations on acquiring a classic Ingenieur. It's a beautifully engineered timepiece that I'm sure you'll enjoy for many years to come. I couldn't imagine ever parting with mine...

It broke my heart yesterday to find that my Ingenieur suddenly stopped running. No banging, dropping, or any drama; it just suddenly stopped. I tried shaking it around, hand winding it, and pulled/pushed the crown a few times - absolutely nothing.

I don't think the watch has ever been serviced since built in 2005. I hope it simply needs a service.

One thing that worries me on the back of my mind is that I shower with it daily (I never really take it off), I hope that did not cause any damage to the watch....

Very sad right now...

Sorry to hear that!
Usually if it got wet inside you have some water on the inside of the crystal. But it definitely needs a service to get it running again.

Hello Howi
You may just need a service - the lubrication can dry out and that may be what has happened. If it were water damage you most likely would have noticed fogging inside the crystal. I would recommend you send it to an authorized IWC service center or take it to a dealer and have them send it in.

Thank you very much Tilo and Ben. I'm happy to tell you that there is no fogging or condensation of any kind in the watch, from what I can see. The watch looks to be in superb condition and without any visible damage. I will definitely make a trip down to my nearest boutique (South Coast Plaza in SoCal) and get it serviced.

I don't mind getting it serviced, I just really hope my Ingeinieur is going to be okay....

Since I was going to bring it in for service anyways, being an engineer, I thought I would open her up and see if I could find what was wrong with it. I was happy to see that there was no sign of moisture or rust, and the movement generally looks to be in great shape. Without any knowledge in movements I did not wish to explore any further. I uploaded some original resolution photos to share, will anyone here be able to tell what is wrong with it?

Great pictures, alway love these. Definitely moisture is not the problem. But you can see some dirt on the wheels so a service will fix all problems and make it brand new again. Enjoy!

Small update:

I went to the nearest boutique the past Saturday (first time going to a boutique) in South Coast Plaza and dropped it off for service. They said it will take 7 to 10 days before I hear back from the service center on what needs to be done and how much.

How much should I expect an overhaul service to be from IWC, for a typical in-house movement watch with date, and without any other complications?

I can't wait to get my watch back.... :'(

I have experienced (Ingenieur mission earth) once with a lose screw that got lodged into the movement, hence getting it stucked up.
It even happened after a service by IWC!
It was repaired though, and now it's working fine.
Best of luck with yours!

Thanks jwwong. You are probably right. When I shake the watch by my ear when I first got it (to listen to the winding sound) I always thought I hear something lose inside. Since I've never had an Ingenieur or any IWC, I didn't know what to expect.

Anyways, I will report back when I receive an update from the service center.

Cheers!

I just received an estimate of $780.

Ouch.

But I guess that's what's needed to make it like brand new again. Sounds like it could be worth it.

Oh, I'm definitely going ahead with it. I'm missing it way too much already.

Really can't wait till it comes back, and ticking as if it's brand spanking new!