Searching REF. 3531

Does someone know where I find this watch (the black edition)?

The small Portuguese is a lovely watch. I don't see that many black dial versions around. I am very pleased with mine. I found it on a popular auction website as Tonny writes. It might take a while to find, but hunting is fun.
JK
PS: This one is not going anywhere.

Love those small Ports. Wish I could decide which one to hunt for... maybe the cream-dialled one (to wear on a black croco...)

There was a time when I owned three, but I never had either of the two Platinum varieties. Sweet little watches!

And one of my all time favorite photos of the 3531, taken by Ray Purkis I believe. Seems like sooo long ago!

My take is that one to get today, if found, is the rose gold one because:

--as a 35mm watch, the model serves best as a dress watch
--the gold premium here as set by the market is only about 1000 USD more, and as such is a best buy
--as gold, it may not have been worn as much by the prior owner and condition might be better

Here you see mine, not worn for a while, as it is quite small. It was my first gold watch, for my 50th birthday: I found it an appropriate age to start with gold watches.

Kind regards,
Paul

Is the dial (excluding the black one of course) rather silver or cream in reality? Owners inputs are welcome first of all :)

It's a favourite of mine.

Just a few words on the movement. As you know the movement is not IWC but JLC.
Extraordinary is the automatic winding system, not Pellaton of course but as well an ingenious system. On the back side as shown by Tonny and Rave 3 small wheels in a nearly straight lining can be seen. The upper and middle wheel can also move sidewards, grasping in the teeth of a bigger wheel of which a small part is visible. Depending upon whether the upper wheel or the middle wheel is touching the big wheel the lower wheel is turning clockwise or anti clockwise. The lower wheel of the vertical train is attached to the rotor which can also turn clockwise or anti clockwise, depending from the position of the watch. As such, the automatic winding system stores the energy of the rotor, turning bi-directionally as with the Pellaton system...but differently.
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).

P.S.
Does someone knows what "/2" stands for, it was obvisously added to the "891" to make a "891/2" or "8912"

regards

Ralph

There was a comparative review around Y2K in the "Chronos" periodical (in German) about the Inge and a Royal Oak (?) anyway both driven by the JLC based movement back then. (The 3rd one was a GP movement based VC.) They've mentioned there a few minor changes of the movements if I remember well. Hope this helps.

Some details about "IWC powered by JLC":

Definitely underestimated IMHO - really a pleasure to wear

Here is mine - rose gold

It is amazing to learn what hebe knows about the history on the classic IWC wrist watches.
Hats off!
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).

I absolutely agree, Adrian, and what a fantastic read that was. Thank you Heiko!

P.S: The Ref.3531 was probably the last IWC model released with the nice scriptic
"International Watch Co"
on it's dial.

P.S., P.S.: by mistake I wrote first "...the last nice IWC model released with the scriptic..." what could be misunderstood ;-)