The iconic Portugieser Automatic was my first IWC and perhaps my sentimental favorite. The classic simplicity and beauty of design is unmatched in the world of luxury time pieces.
The posts below by Perlmutt and diaphane made me think about what is my classic favorite. I wore this one to Geneva for SIHH 2007, my first invite to a Forum event, so perhaps this is my Collectors Forum IWC (CFP).
Bill
Hey, every watch can't be a Collectors Forum watch
Your 5001 is a lovely watch, and diaphane's Portuguese is a nice looking watch too. So is the white dialed Aquatimer. And I think of others that have been popular, especially on this forum. And different watches evoke different emotions in their owners, and all feelings are fair in the sense that we are entitled to them.
But --there are two Collectors' Forum watches, the Collectors Forum Ingenieur and the Collectors' Forum Da Vinci. I genuinely wished that you would have owned one. Perhaps next time, although for several reasons I doubt that will occur.
And I really like your 5001, and I know that you didn't mean to take anything away from those who did decide to become a member of the Collectors Forum Da Vinci club.
Regards,
Michael
The only CF Portuguese is the Jubilee
I guess that this forum has made the Jubilee all the more popular. It is about the most beautiful watch, and it is a watch that increasingly needs the effort and the money to obtain one, in a way that true collectors like.
Kind regards,
Paul, wearing steel VC Portuguese, the Jubilee of the 2020's
I guess it depends on your definition and values
...to me a watch which is not exclusive to the forum is not a forum watch. I know what the CFI means to many of its 100 owners, and its something different than what the Jubilee means to them. Many of them also own a Jubilee, and realize the CFI isn't that. But there is something special about owning a CFI, which perhaps one has to experience starting when they were able to obtain one just five years ago,
I like the Jubilee, and bought my first one for under 3000 USD. To me it's a nice watch but not the same as an original Portuguese watch nor does it represent the same horological achievement as a tourbillon. That's not to knock the Jubilee --it's a great watch and deservedly popular here (and --which is my point-- elsewhere). But it's not a forum watch.
Simply stunning
I always thought IWC watches give their best in red gold, 5001 is surely "the best" in so many ways, so I guess Bill your 5001-01 is the best of the best! :)
It's not a CFW but, reading the lastest posts I guess we are stretching this concept to express something meaningful to us,
"IWC:IWC forum = My dearest watch:CFW" might not work in mathematic and formally is wrong but it may work for our hearts, is this a bad thing?
Enjoy your tremendous watch Bill and wear it in good health!
Roberto
What a beauty indeed
Absolutely...
I am a proud owner of a Jubilee and also of a CFI, and soon of a CFdV. The CFI has, and the CFdV will have a very special place in my collection, that the Jubilee will never have.
The CF watches were made by IWC especially for us - IWC collector's and members of this Forum, the CFI even has my name on her, and not for the Market.
I wish all Forum members could have a CFI. Many of those who do not have a CFdV is because they chose not to. Nominating your favorite IWC a CF watch may make you feel good, but it does not turn it into a CF watch.
THE watch
At the moment there may be two truly iconic IWC watches in production that are loved and owned by many forum members: the Big Pilot and the Portuguese Automatic. Of them the rose gold Portuguese Automatic is maybe the most beautiful one and making a bridge to the really luxury kind of watches. And of this watch the pictures by you, Bill, are about the best. At another place there was suggested a new watch should be chosen for a kind of banner picture to replace the old Ingenieur Automatic that is out of production now. I think either of the two watches mentioned above would classify, it would be kind of fun if a picture of Bill would be selected for it.
Kind regards,
Paul, wearing rose gold Saint Exupéry Chrono
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Hidden by on 8 Nov 2018, 3:58 p.m..
Again, I have different information than you...
I know that IWC has steadfastedly refused to change the back on any CFI. There was one person who ordered the watch and was unhappy with it from the day he got it, and repeatedly requested that be done. IWC refused and refused in a few other cases.
There was one --and to my knowledge only one-- watch which left the factory without engraving on the back. That watch involved a special story, involving someone who was mortally ill and couldn't decide which son should inherit the watch (as you might guess that watch subsequently was sold by the heir, and then was resold again and perhaps a third time). It may be that one watch you've seen and identified twice.
It also is possible, at least in theory, that a CFI owner bought, relatively inexpensively, a second regular 3227, and changed backs, in order to sell the one with the special dial. I doubt that has occurred, but some people do some strange things for money.
Finally, there has been close to 100% changeover in people at the factory who were involved in the CFI project. As such, I can't guarantee that the policy about changes to the model hasn't changed.
In all events, your question seems to imply that because you claim to know of two such watches (which may or may not be the case) that there are many others, and therefore implies that there may not be much meaning to the ownership experience. I say "bull". I know of virtually every English forum CFI owner, I know two weren't happy --and to me a 96% rating is pretty good.
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Hidden by on 8 Nov 2018, 3:58 p.m..
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Hidden by on 8 Nov 2018, 3:58 p.m..
I fail to see why that would be...
and interesting question at all. In every community there are always rogues who do not follow the rules and think they are smarter than those who do. The CFI community of 100 apparently had three or four of those. This is actually not bad at all if compared with other communities. We ought not to waste our time on them.
Ahhh...hard not to love this one
