• 26 May 2020, 5:26 p.m.

    As some of you know, I am collecting pocketwatches, IWC only.

    Far from saying that my collection is a museum collection but I am proud to
    have found some nice and rare pieces over time.

    Some of the pocketwatches are common, easy to find on the market, sometimes in
    better condition than mine, but some I have are gems.

    So in these crazy times, as the museum in Schaffhausen is closed, why not open
    one here on the forum.

    As long as the museum is closed, I will post here daily a pocketwatch from my
    collection.

    I hope I don't run out of pieces before the virus is beaten. Fingers crossed
    for all of us.

    I will post them in a random order, with some comments, feel free to join.

    Keep safe all.

    DAY 66, 800 year Luzern.

    Today not a Schutzenuhr, but one that could be mistaken for one. In fact I
    could call it an epilogue to the 1979 Luzern Schutzenuhr story I told the
    previous days.

    I wrote that the Luzern watchmaker Jorg Sporing ordered these Schutzenuhren
    after he had a successful idea of ordering a watch for the 800th anniversary
    of the city of Luzern.

    This is the one that was made for that occasion.

    The Luzern artist Rolf Brem was asked to design the case and IWC was asked to
    build the pocketwatches.

    In 1977 only 50 pocketwatches were made in that order ; 24 Lepine in silver
    with cal 952 and 24 Hunter cases in silver with cal 982. Also two Hunter cases
    in gold were made with a calendar function ( no knowledge of the cal number )

    The caseback represents the old city of Luzern.

    As where many Schutzenuhren have lost their details on the case due to
    polishing, this one is near mint showing a lot of details.

    Again here without IWC case numbering

    And some details

  • Master
    26 May 2020, 5:27 p.m.

    Todays watch dedicated to my Portuguese friend - Mr. Gomes

    As for Tonnys post - Is it a watch? .... or is it a piece of art?

    I would dare to say it's both - and of course, the above pocket watch is both
    young of age and has without doubt a trully magnificent case back.

    And as it is with some of our pocket watches, the case back tells a story. In
    the case of Tonny's watch it's a tale of a City - others, point to their
    original owners, like this immacualate case back here below. So wether a
    relied engraving of something concrete like on Tonny's watch or hand engraved
    intials as in this watch in my collection - they are all beautiful to see.

    The Watch

    When looking to see what watch I could post today to compliment Tonny's, my
    first thought was to find the cleanest / simplest case back in my collection.
    Only, when I held the watch in my hand to take some photo's did I realise I
    could not share it today - as it's a watch already earmarked for a future and
    upcoming post by Tonny. So I had to dig deeper into my collection and those
    images in my mind of all those fantastic case backs, and the story's behind
    them.

    And then it came to me ! The watch with the one case back in my Collection
    that time and time again intrigues me. One of the few, where on seeing the
    case back I was imeadiatley attracted to it - but despite my best effort
    nevery was able to come up with the story of the case back.

    This case back.

    As elequant and pretty as the image on Tonnys watch it is not - but this
    clearly hand engraving on hardend gun metal steel case is in my eyes stands
    out. This watch simply borrows both phrases from my cousin Ray's adjectives
    when talking about my watches, when I ship them to hios address and he opens
    the parcel - it's usueally one of two things ; Either "Ugly watch" or
    "Handsome Timepiece" - and this watch with that engraving to me is attractive
    for both those things.

    Unlike Tonny's watch - this Cal. 57 is old and dates from 1898. She was
    rescued by me from a seller in Lisbon Porugal and more than the fact that our
    Carlos here was Portuguese, I have not been able to ascertain.

    And as can be seen a simple steel case with ittle other adornment than a brass
    crown and bow, can be very attractive too.

    At 122 years of age, the handsome pocketwatch is deserving of some TLC and is
    on the service roster. However, the movement is still in pretty good shape
    and the case back - well, I am leaving it exactly like that!

  • Master
    26 May 2020, 8:49 p.m.

    It appears to be L Carlos , probably Luis Carlos, which was a common
    combination of given names. Luis and Carlos can also be family names,
    although unusual.

  • Master
    27 May 2020, 12:43 p.m.

    With respect Antonio, but if one looks to the autograph, the 'C' of Carlos
    looks exactly the same as the very first letter.

    Could it also be 'C Carlos' ?

    Adrian,

    (alwaysiwc).

  • Graduate
    2 Mar 2021, 3:32 p.m.

    I have seen one of these beautiful and rare "800-Years-Luzern-watches", but
    the Savonette Version. Besides the Relief of the town of Luzern in the old
    days, there is also a Relief of Luzern by that time (1978) on the other side
    of the Case. It features a caliber 982. What puzzles me is, that on the inner
    casecover it is written "50. Eidg. Schutzenfest Luzern 1979" together witch
    the Logo of that festival, exactly like on the Schutzenuhr with the kneeling
    William Tell. This, althougt this watch is for "800 years Luzern" in 1978 and
    has basically nothing to do with the Schutzenfest (besides the Emergence like
    Tonny explained).

    Does somebody know this Savonette Version and wether this is usual?

    Thank you very much an many Greetings

    Philipp

  • 3 Mar 2021, 4:35 p.m.

    Hello Philipp, I never saw the savonette version of the 800 year Luzern, but
    indeed that inner cover doesn't belong to that watch. But since these both
    watches were mostly sold by one watchmaker, a mix up is always one of the
    possibilities.