I just reached a handshake deal on acquiring this special IWC Calibre 52 pocket watch. I've never seen one before with this degree of elaborate movement finishing:
As you may know, the Calibre 52 was IWC's most commonly produced pocket watch movement: a real workhorse, with almost 300,000 made over around 50 years. I even know one collector who has more than 100 of them!
But the Calibre 52 normally is finished with unadorned brass plates, like this early example:
I previously made a post on differences in various Calibre 52s
(click here)
After communication with IWC's Museum Director, Dr. David Seyffer, he believes that it is likely that this movement was specially finished after production by IWC at Beyer, the Zurich retailer, in 1913.
Right now, I'm only focusing on collecting pre-1890 IWC pocket watch examples, but this one was too special to pass up.