Unidentified IWC pilot watch 1930s - 1940s

Dear all,

first of all, as I am new in this forum, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Daniel, I am 53 years old, living in Germany and owner of several IWC pilot watches, such as the IWC UTC and the Double Chronograph Rattrapante.

Some days ago I found at a juwelier here a vintage IWC pilot watch in which I fell in love and which I correspondingly purchased. First of all, it was clear for me that it is not the famous Mark IX pilot watch, but seems to be a watch from the same era. It has a 83 caliber movement and the case diameter is 35 mm. 

I would like to know if anybody from your side can identify this watch and perhaps indicate me if it is an original piece or not. I would be very pleased to receive your comments hereto.

Best Regards,

Daniel

Dear Daniel

Did you check movement and case number with IWC? Your pics don't show many details, but to me it looks like a "Spezialuhr für Flieger" incorrectly nicknamed Mk. IX, which lost the ring with the pointer. Or you run into a fake!

Regards

Th. Koenig

Dear Mr. Koenig 

Thank you very much for your reply. Inders I checked the numbers for plausibility before bilingual the watch. Movement number is ca. 980.000 and case number is around 1.030.000. So, my first Impression was that they are matching. Nevertheless I will send it to IWC requesting an extract from Archive.

You are right with your impression of similarity with the „Mark IX“ Ref. 436. I had the Same Impression,However later onwards I found out that the so called Mark IX ( Ref. 436) has a 38 mm case and my watch only measures 35 mm. So, I assume that in the case that it is not a fake it must be a different model. Let‘s what IWC thinks about it.

Best Regards

Daniel 

Dear all,

I add herewith some more pictures of my IWC pilot watch. 2 of these pictures show a photo of the watch dated 1997 on the basis of which the previous owner probably purchased the watch. The backside of this photos contains some data related to the watch. However, I am not sure if this data is 100% correct.

Perhaps someone of you can give me some further information hereto. Thank you in advance for your reply(ies).

Best Regards,

Daniel

Yes indeed, let's here what the IWC ledgers say on this watch.

Are you sure it has a screw down back as said on the back of the photo? I don't see the notches for a case opener.

It might be a Hermet case, which provided some watertightness.

Greetings

Th. König

The dial isnt old..

Hello Daniel...is it a two piece case?

Hello Catherine 

First of all I have to apologize if the technical wording of my reply and my understanding is incorrect- indeed I am absolutely not a technical specialist.

So lets try: The case has a separate bottom which is screwed with the rest of the case. So, from my understanding it consists of 2 Parts.Regarding your comment to the dial  I was also surprised about the very good condition and thought that it might had been refurbished or replaced. However I found some comparable Watches in Internet, e.g. IWC 436 „Mark IX“, which have dials in the same conditions but whose descriptions say that all Parts are original . What do you think?

Best Regards 

Daniel

Any chance of side-profile pic(s) please Daniel.

Is the caseback hand-tight or unavailable for pic's.

Yes there are lots of this type of dial around, it is not expensive to produce but lifts a poor lot.

I send photos of the sides tomorrow. 
I am personally not able to Open the watch again but I can ask the Juwelier were I bought it the next days. Then I can send further photos

Thank you Daniel...no rush.

Hello  Catherine

I observed one more interesting Detail: As you can See the Numbers and hands have a luminous Material put on. However the luminous effect only appeaers under ultraviolett light but Not under normal conditions (without such ultraviolett light)in the dark. Have you any idea about the reason for this? Thank you very much in advance for your reply

BR

Daniel

To be truthfull with you Daniel ive kinda wrote dial off regardless of what compound is on it and whether its exceeded its shelf life...all that ^ wont help the rest of the dial.

Its the case and how it's come to be that's the star turn.

Dont be shy with the pic's, there is no meter running 👍

Hi Catherine,

my little niece who likes taking photos very much helped me to get some detailed photos from the laterals of the watch.

Please see photos below.

Best Regards,

Daniel

Thanks Daniel...it looks very mk 10 inspired..difficult to be accurate with the reflection..lifting the caseback is the ultimate reveal ( pretty please).

35

I cannot take the suspense Daniel 😋..i'd guestimate your case accepts the screwback...which would make it a reasonably obscure (35mm) offering..albeit heavilly restored (the side- profiles look to be the only original finish)

https://forum.iwc.com/t/3-notch-case-back-on-a-iwc-35mm/33846/

Well Catherine ,2 further days of Patience are necessary for Both of us. I will have my appointment at the Juwelier on Saturday 2:00 German time. Iwill post photos of the movement and the caseback as soon as possible.

Dear Catherine,

now I have got the photos. Fortunately the juwelier had taken some photos also which he provided me in print out format. See photos below. I look forward to your comments on the watch.

As you can see the case number is 1032968 and the movement number 981251. Do you know, based on these numbers, in which year the watch was produced.

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Best Regards,

Daniel