The IWC Chronometer paradox.

IWC has never - with only one exception - supplied timepieces with chronometer
certification, the reason can be found in the 1972 catalog, see
scans.Nevertheless, a model with chronometer certificate was delivered in the
mid 90s, but why ?

A fantastic watch with a JCL based manufactory movement. These movements have
also been used for a few other models, but not with a chronometer certificate.

The reason for this single model with chronometer certificate is not clarified
yet.

If someone knows the reason, please let me know.

Thanks in advance and kind regards

Sorry Heiko

IWC sold loads of chronometer rated pocket watches rated at Kew/Teddington,
Neuchatel, Geneva and Leipzig. For some time IWC was the manufacturer, which
submitted more watches for chronometer ratings in Neuchatel than any other
company.

IWC refrained from submitting watches for chronometer trials in the nineteen
thirties when the chronometer tests lowered the hurdles and Rolex and Omega so
were enabled from the 1940ies onwards to obtain chronometer ratings for
watches from normal serial production.

After WW II most IWC school watches were rated as chronometers.

Regards

Th. Koenig

Hello Thomas,

Thanks for the interesting details.

I referred to IWC catalogs from the 70s to the 90s. Within this time period,
there are references in some catalogs like this:

< We do not sell watches with chronometer-certificates >

In catalogs before that time, until 1911, I could found no evidences about
chronometers.

Also searches for IWC chronometers in the dissertation of Dr. David Seyffer
gave no hints, possibly overlooked ?!

- Were the mentioned pocket watches sold directly by IWC or produced by IWC
for other companies according to their demands ?

- Has IWC commissioned the certificates

- Were there any customers who wanted to have chronometer-certificates that
IWC commissioned on customer request?

- As far as I know, this is similar for school watches. IWC has only supplied
the Ebauches and possibly also cases. Those watches were not sold by IWC and
the chronometer-certificate includes the numbers of the school watches, not an
IWC number.

Is it possible to determine the time periods, when IWC Chronometer, no matter
for which customer, were produced and when not (anymore)?

That would be very interesting.

Regards

Heiko

Hallo Heiko,

I believe the problem here is the definition of chronometer. : there is no
general accepted definition.

The watches , or often only the movements, sent to the astronomical
observatries of Neuchatel, Geneva and Kew were at the end of the 19th and
early 20th century , only pocket watches. IWC sent in cal. 71/72, 52/53 and
65/66. The testing procedure was very long and severe. The longest period in
Kew lasted 45 days( Kew A test) and the demands for receiving the certificate
were even different between the observatories. There were watches which
received a certificate from Geneva but were disapproved by Kew. Because the
restrictions at Kew were very hard to meet and therefore a certificate
granted by Kew was seen as the ultimate proof of accuracy for a brand. The
different watch manufacturers made the restrictions to call their watches a
chronometer less tight, simply because no international standard value and
procedure existed. In 1907 IWC ,sold a number of Luzern Schutzenuhren with a
so called 'Gangschein', a paper delivered for each watch indicating the
results of a short test period( 5-7 days) in which the particular watch had
been tested in a few positions. Such 'certificate' was also delivered with the
Scarabaeus calibre 982 pocket watch in the 1980ies. The weak point is of
course that the watch manufacturer tests his own watches and provides its own
certificate. The Ingenieur ref.3521 with JLC movement was as far as I know the
only watch which was offered for testing according COSC requirements. The
independent COSC (Control Officel Suisse des Chronometres) was founded by 5
watchmaking cantons in Switzerland in 1973. Probably the most known brand
using the COSC criteria is Rolex.. However, these criteria are much lesser
tight than those of any observatory. Moreover, the criteria have been modified
several times. IWC reacted sometimes by stating : we use or own criteria,
stressing that the IWC testing delivered a 'very precise watch' meeting the
accuracy of every demanding customer. In terms of daily practise, this is
certainly true. In terms of horolgy the observatory tests have not been
superseeded until now.

Regards,

Adrian,

(alwaysiwc).

Thank you very much for the Cronometer details, Adrian.

I believe the problem here is the definition of chronometer. : there is no
general accepted definition.

That hits the nail => I have learned to use the time context when Cronometers
are involved.

Regards

Heiko

Hello Heiko

IWC submitted watches for observatory ratings from 1894 through 1948 (From
1925 onwards only few were tested).

IWC produced all these watches, regulated most of them and sold them through
their normal sales channels. Of course all were pocket watches. They were not
shown in the normal price lists, but a special catalogue did exist. A
chronometer rated first class commanded a premium of CHF 180 while a normal
silver watch was offered at CHF 60. IWC offered as well watches regulated to
observatory standards, but not officially rated externally. But those were not
offered as "chronometer"

The word "chronometer" was protected by law in Switzerland until 1915 and
after 1932. Until 1945 the observatory ratings, especially the first class,
were really tough, results published and prices for the best performers
awarded (IWC never got a price for the simple reason that prices were only
awarded to manufacturers from the same canton; as there was no observatory in
the.canton of Schaffhausen no prize could be awarded to IWC). From 1945
onwards the ratings turned into sales events. And IWC made this decline of the
chronometer certificate a topic in the adverts you showed,

Regards

Th. Koenig

Very interesting details, thanks Thomas.

Regards

Heiko