They tell me, that in times of crises, Gold always shines through. And Tonny's
Cal.74 here is certainly a shining example of the best of Swiss Gold.
Today, to compliment Tonny's finger bridge Cal.74 savonette (Full Hunter
pocket watch) I share with you it's sister timepiece - a Cal. 73 Lepine (Open
Face pocket watch).
The difference between the two movment types can be seen here below.
These were very well engineerd movements (are they not all - Probus Scafusia)
and most C.73 / C. 74 had only 16 jewels.
As is the case today - even back then IWC prided themselves on their top
notch service , and parts as we see above were readily available for order
by certified agents and distributers.
If one adds up the sum of the parts (as I know that Claudio will do) one
wonders if the old addage of "the sum of the parts equalls the whole", adds
up?
The Watch
This grand old lady has only just last year celebrated her centurian birthday,
with this watch having left Schaffhuesen ( or was that Schaffhouse ) in
September 1919.
She wears her International Watch Co. branding proudly - and is
halmarked 18k Swiss Gold on the crown neck.
As is the example set by Tonny's watch, the rear case back carries a cartouche
for engraving (here also still blank), and is adorned with a fine cross hatch
patern.
This cross hatch paterning is also to be found back on the case edge.
As a point of note - look at the close up picture above, and see the lip on
the rear cover, used to identify where the watchmaker should insert the case
opening tool. Here one can see how well these cases were made, as it's almost
impossible with the nacked eye to see the gap between case edge and case back.
Something, Schaffhouse has always focused on - then as they do today : A very
high level of case quality - Probus Scafusia then and now.
Wait... did I just make a spelling mistake? Did I just type Schaffhouse
instead of Schaffhausen?
Well dont blame me.... In some rare instances, them fellows in Schaffhausen
also reverted back to the french naming of Schaffhouse.
The movement still pretty pristine condition is gold plated, and free of any
fancy engravings. Note the Swan Neck regulation.
All in all a grand 100+ year old timepiece that keeps perfect time that
reached my Collection almost to the day 100 years after it left Schaffhausen.
In fact, the negotation and sale of this watch which was then handed to me
over lunch and a beer at a resturant on the banks of the Rhine - just a stones
throw away from Baumgartenstrasse 15 where Christoph Grainger-Herr holds
office and where those Wizzards of Schaffhausen still produce the fine luxuary
timepieces, we are so passionate about.
It came to my Collection from the collection of another well known Collector
of both vintage and comptemporary IWC watches. To this day, he claims I took
advantage of his weakend negotation state (we had just been shown the then new
2019 collection, at the IWC Collectors meeting and his mind was still reeling
in extasy). I shall leave him unnamed, to protect the innocent.
