• Apprentice
    5 Jun 2017, 10:20 a.m.

    Dear fellow IWC collectors,

    After many years of an all-consuming passion for watches, I have finally decided to get out of the woods and register into your lovely forum.

    I have inherited the passion for watches from my uncle at an early age. My first memory of the existence of the watchmaking world was at a family reunion when I asked him why his wristwatch had so many features on the dial. I was about 12 years old and did not know that watches could work without a battery.

    He then explained me with very simple words that his timepiece was hand made with only mechanical components assembled together and running with a simple winding mechanism via the crown.

    Guess what? It was a Portofino Romana Perpetual Calendar in Platinum. no wonder why it raised my attention! :)

    I bought my first mechanical watch at around 18/19 years old after working 4 month as a salesman for a big French sports company during my time at the university.

    No need to tell you that this first watch was the beginning of a real madness...

    I got my first IWC watch a few years later. I wanted a very simple and elegant timepiece that would fit my budget. I had no other choice than getting a second hand piece. After years of reading French and English forums, scanning eBay, Chrono24 and other sources, I finally choose a Cal.89 from the 50's

     https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/dscn0710.jpg
    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/dscn1410.jpg

    I then discovered that purchasing a watch satisfies your horological needs but for a very limited period only. Addiction? Maybe...

    As I was still a student, I could not afford to keep this Cal.89 and purchase another IWC. It was a real heartbreak to let this one go but I knew it was for a good cause.

    I wanted to reward myself from graduating university so I upgraded my stainless steel Cal. 89 for a yellow gold Cal.89

    i40.servimg.com/u/f40/11/70/74/11/p1040128.jpg
    i40.servimg.com/u/f40/11/70/74/11/p1040129.jpg

    With time, my tastes for watches began to change a little. Another IWC had to enter in my collection but this time, I wanted something more sporty.

    The Pilot's Watch Mark XV seemed to be a very good choice!

    i40.servimg.com/u/f40/11/70/74/11/l1080110.jpg

    After a few years wearing this Mark, I said to myself "No way I let this one ever go but I want to make it special"

    Collectors beware: I customized my Mark XV. I know very well that it can be perceived as a criminal offense and I deserve life in prison for that but come on, I love it even more now!

    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/scaled42.jpg
    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/iwc_ma10.jpg
    i68.servimg.com/u/f68/11/70/74/11/img_6410.jpg

    My love for IWC became stronger and stronger with the addition of two lovely timepieces in the past months/years.

    Today I am really happy with my three IWC and I cannot wait to share with you the little that I know about the brand and watches in general and to learn more and more about this beautiful brand.

    Thank you for taking the time to read my "story"

    Best regards,

    Cedric

  • Connoisseur
    5 Jun 2017, 10:45 a.m.

    Hi Cedric,

    Welcome to the forum! Great story and nice collection. Looking for more posts from you.

    Cheers
    JK

  • Connoisseur
    5 Jun 2017, 11:30 a.m.

    Welcome! Great selection of watches you have there. Love the cal 89.

  • Apprentice
    5 Jun 2017, 11:57 a.m.

    Thank you gents!

  • 5 Jun 2017, 12:58 p.m.

    What an entry here Cedric, great post. Welcome to the forum.

  • Apprentice
    5 Jun 2017, 2:07 p.m.

    Thank you Tonny!

    I just found on my laptop's hard drive an old picture of my uncle's Portofino:

    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/captur12.jpg

    As you can see from the picture, the photo was taken on christmas day at another family reunion in 2010. My god time flies...

  • 5 Jun 2017, 5:08 p.m.

    Hi Cedric
    A very warm welcom to the Forum. Thanks for sharing your entry post, it's just great.
    Your customized pieces...I love it too ;-)

    Keep the pictures coming and enjoy the Forum.

    Cheers Chris

  • Master
    5 Jun 2017, 5:21 p.m.

    Welcome Cedric,

    I definitely like your customized Mark!

    How was that done? PVD coating?

    Enjoy the Forum!

    /Anders

  • Master
    5 Jun 2017, 7:16 p.m.

    Welcome to the forum Cedric. Nice introduction with your collection!

  • Apprentice
    5 Jun 2017, 11:41 p.m.

    Thank you all for your warm welcoming.

    @telecaster:

    I wanted to customize the Mark at about the same time when Pro Hunter started to do some "Rolex pimping".
    Also, I have always been a big fan of the Top Gun collecton but no model existed in the Mark line. I then decided to to it myself.

    I contacted a few specialists including Colette in Paris who quoted me 9000 euros. Needless to say that it discouraged me a bit...

    6 months later I got the contact of a French NGO. The kind of watch nerd group who offered me, if I was not too impatient, to make my watch black for the price of a nice alligator strap.

    I said yes and 9 months after I received the Mark XV completely changed.

    I think the process they used was either DLC or PVD, I am not so sure now...

    The most important is that it has been more than 5 years and it's holding and that I am still completely in love each time I am putting it on my wrist.

    For the future service, I am wondering if I should keep the crow black or oder a steel or titanium fish crown...

    What are your thoughts?

    Best regard,

    Cedric

  • Master
    6 Jun 2017, 8:39 a.m.

    Welcome Cedric. Great to have you here and a nice selection you have.

  • Graduate
    6 Jun 2017, 3 p.m.

    A wonderful story, Cedric! Welcome. I am glad you decided to share it. The Cal. 89 us a true icon so a wonderful watch to start with. And I won't hold it against you that you decided to modify your Mark. It looks wonderful with its new 'cloths'.
    Wear your watches in good health and enjoy your time at the forum.
    Best regards, Peter

  • Master
    8 Jun 2017, 7:43 a.m.

    Welcome Cedric - and I think your Mark looks supercool, I would definitely keep the black crown!
    Do not hesitate to share more pictures :-)

  • Apprentice
    8 Jun 2017, 8:33 a.m.

    Thank you!

    A few more pictures of my MK XV Custom:

    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/36959910.jpg

    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/58140910.jpg

    i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/70/74/11/markxv10.jpg

    I often wear it on black or colorful nato/perlon straps.

    The only downside is that the dimension between the lugs is 19mm which greatly reduced the choices of straps and also forces me to squeeze-in my 20mm Nato straps.

    Any good recommandation of strap style/color?