• 11 Jun 2020, 5:39 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 82, cal 28, gold

    Today the 19th birthday of the forum, so a special and rare watch on display.

    The cal 28 is really a rare pocketwatch to find in good condition and complete
    with the case.

    So I was happy to find it in its original case, in a rare 12K case, but with a
    lot of decoration made by hand all around the case.

    I have another cal in gold in my collection, shown here earlier on day 20,
    where the name International Watch Co was engraved in a special wavy form.

    Here on this one, not many numbers separated from the first one, it is done
    in a more traditional circular way.

    See on the dust cover the IWC stamp with the Schaffhauser ram.

    Love the execution with decoration, even under the balance, not to speak of
    the blue screws.

    As it was apparently fashion these days, here also on the dust cover the words
    Half Chronometer.

  • Master
    11 Jun 2020, 5:40 p.m.

    Todays post dedicated to the memory of a lovely golden haired lady who was
    so very dear to my heart - and who sadly passed on yesterday.

    So, another day and another post and what a magnificent IWC pocket watch Tonny
    shares with us today!

    Yesterday, I showed briefly a 0.900 German silver niello cased watch and said
    I would post it another day (meaning I wanted to do it today).

    However, Tonny's beautiful golden watch today, has changed my mind as how can
    I trully compliment that beauty, if I am not showing some gold here too today.

    The Watch

    Over the last 80 plus days, I have shared with you three of the little gems
    pictured below. The 4th one on the top right will follow at a later stage.

    Now, all these watches are in some form of fashion open face - meaning you can
    see the time without needing to open a cover on the watch. This, even if two
    of these watches are build on savonette movements (where the crown is
    positioned at the 3 oçlock marker).

    But, whilst the lepine form was the most common IWC did also produce full
    hunter savonette ladies watches - like this one.

    This one in
    14K gold, not 12K as in Tonny's pocket watch.

    This lovely ladies savonette left Schaffhausen in March of 1912 - not bad for
    a 107 year old.

    The movement a Cal. 64

    And in case you are wondering how tiny she is - and how she looks when the
    cover is closed and sits over the dial.

    Whilst the Dark Ages early pieces, and the steel and silver cased workhorses
    are the a vital part of any pocket watch collectors collection, it is the
    special golden pieces wether dressed up and engraved like Tonny's or classic
    and pure with clean gold lines like mine, it is these golden beauties, that
    somehow always steel our hearts (and that of my sister too!)

    For those reading these posts - do check back later / early tomorrow, as I
    will be posting later today the sequel to the RUST BUCKET RENOVATION
    PROJECT

  • Master
    11 Jun 2020, 5:52 p.m.

    Yes Tonny, let's call it the collectors forum jubilee watch!

    Great piece,

    Adrian

    (alwaysiwc).