The model with best movement's finishing?

OK, here is a cal 66 from 1907 ( not my watch).
There is nothing special to observe, only "quality extra". But this watch was awarded the "Bulletin de Marche" or chronometer certificate from the Astronomic Observatory in Neuchâtel, more than a century ago. Many hours were spent to assemble and regulate the watch, all by hand. There was a time, after the period of Jones, Seeland and Tschopp that IWC had no top watchmaker to regulate these extremely accurate mechanical time pieces. During that era the expert "regleurs" were traveling throughout Europe as "artists" of horology. These experts were hired or employed by Zenith, Omega, Vacheron Constatin, and many others, IWC hired them too, in order to deliver to the Astronomical Observatories their outmost finest timepieces for time testing. Every serious Swiss manufacturer needed these watches and their performances for advertising reasons.
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).

Thank you very much Adrian had no idea about this.

Whilst trying to post a second example of a cal 72 PW in the thread of "finishing" movements, I am now obliged by IWC to change my password. Following their instructions to build in digits and characters I am not allowed to proceed. Why is the instruction so complicated for non native English speaking IWC collectors? My application does not satisfy the IWC server.
Why all these trouble?
Why all these alterations?
Why not a simple solution?
Why am I not allowed to simply post my IWC data?
I am fed up!
Sorry,
Kind regards,
Adrian.
(not)alwayiwc.

Thank you Roberto for starting this thread! Not only did I find interesting the examples that were posted, I learned a great deal I did not know. I continue to deeply apprecialte the knowledge base in this great forum!

I made the same experience :-(

Ignore this stupid procedure !

It is just for nothing.

Greetings

Heiko

While this wasn't my decision, there have been some potential but serious security issues all of which to my knowledge have been satisfactorily dealt with. But it is apparently necessary to maintain security in order that there not be any serious problems, which I can imagine might include disclosure of information (including members) or attacks which would shut down the website (like denial of service attacks).

I know IWC treats Internet security as the highest priority, and I believe they should. Thus far, save for an occaisonally squeaking Spam filter, there have been no problems --but there was a decision made, possibly at the Richemont level, to institute security features, most of which are transparent to users.

While these aren't my procedures, I do apologize for the incovenience of having to change your password to a new and longer password.

I'm enjoying it too Jim. Decorations, finitures, chronometry, kind of an unpredictable slalom.

:)

Edit. I've found some time to take some pictures, not the best ones - accordingly to my (poor) standards - of the Jubilee.

No parts are left without finishing, there's not a lot of manual work but the overall look is very balanced and tasteful, enough to let the observer contemplate the architecture of the movement, with deep pleasure - imo.

Here is another example of an IWC PW on which numerous hours have been spent to "finish" it.
It is the most famous caliber 71/72 in a pristine condition. The only decoration present, are the Geneva stripes. Also this watch won the Kew A certificate, that is the chronometer certificate of the Kew Astrological Observatory (later National Physics Laboratory : NPL), the world most tough test to pass.
So again, a watch on which at first sight one cannot see or guess, the efforts made to finish it.
Kind regards,
Adrian
alwaysiwc.

I very much agree with Adrian. The beauty of a watch should, as far as the movement is concerned, lay in its exquisite performance. That is not to say that the movement should be a quartz movement, but that the accent of the effort should be foremost that it runs as well as possible for a long period of time. All those curls and stripes are meaningless to me if in the end it proves to be a mediocre movement.

Kind regards,
Paul

Thanks Adrian for the inexhaustible resources you kindly share with us.

I take myself permission to report some points of strenght of this last example of yours, regarding finishing.

1 The click spring has a black polishing, so the upper and lower crown wheel (beautiful contrast between the inner and outer parts)
2 Same treatment for ending part of the "fishtail" bridge of the escapement wheel.
3The main plate is decorated with perlage
4 The particular design of the bridges (a decoration itself) imposes to work with reentrant cornerings and arcuate shapes also. Nonetheless, the anglage is consistant throughout the bridges. This work can be done just by manual work
5The stone for the center wheel and the three satellite screws (black polished)

These are few and short notes representing just my humble opinion.

This movement shows once more that chronometric accuracy gets along with good finishing.

Some forms of finishing (even those considered functional) have currently lost some of their importance but chronometry remains one of those fields in which finitures still play an important role.

Without mentioning the quality perceived (given by finitures) polishing is still conclusive for enjoying a watch at its best, think for instance to the softeness of a chronograph pusher.

At least IWC made an effort with the Jubilee. Compared to a couple of other watches I have, the movement finishing is not IWC's strongest feature today. Pocket watches from the past are impressive, though.

[](www.flickr.com/photos/39364551@N04/3687301188/)
[

[](www.flickr.com/photos/39364551@N04/3687299578/)
](www.flickr.com/photos/39364551@N04/3687301188/)

Thanks, Roberto for these valuable additions! You have studied this actual movements very precisely. Isn't there a saying in English : "beauty has to come from the inside"?
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).

Well, some modern IWC movements do not have any decoration anymore. The beginning of the end of decoration ?!

Could be Heiko, for IWC of course, although I doubt this will happen in full scale my friend.

Adrian I am afraid you are right.

Thank you Adrian.

I'm honored to read your comments and contributions.

@All.

Friends, this post is meant to honor IWC, thanks for your contributions, keep posting your beauties!

:)

Unusual movement and watch, but decorated with Geneva Stripes !

Only for example to this interesting post and to show that finishing was a must at that time.

Could it be, it was the way for the Swiss industry, to declare their heritage despite that new technology?

For a long time, finitures represented a way for watchmakers to express their professional pride, after all.

Thanks Heiko, for this interesting contribution.