• 29 Mar 2020, 1:08 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 9 :

    Today a cal 97 with a nice dial. In a steel case, "acier staybrite" is written
    inside of the back cover.

    It has also a wonderful perlage finishing.

    An esteemed member of the forum SATORU YOSHIDA, wrote about that steel :
    STAYBRITE:a kind of the stainless steel
    8 % Nickel 74 % Iron 18 % Chromium.

    And ideed, the quality of the steel case today is fantastic. The staybrite
    steel was not only used in pocketwatches, but can be found in a lot of IWC
    wristwatches.

    The watch dates from 1939.

    The cal 97 has a nice decoration with Geneva stripes.

    Mr. Ralph Ehrismann wrote in an earlier post :

    "The C97 was built between 1930 and 1964 in totally 16200 pieces, but most of
    them were built between 1930 and 1946, only 2400 pieces was built later (600
    1955; 600 1961 and 1200 1964)
    Later (1967) the movement got an INCA shock protection, 2 jewels on the barrel
    and a new name C972 of which till 1973 3600 pieces was built."

  • Master
    29 Mar 2020, 1:09 p.m.

    9 days in and Tonny keeps surprising us. Here he shows a real nice example of
    a Cal. 97 in Staybrite Steel.

    Now know folks, that STAYBRITE STEEL is still amongst us, and although it
    sounds very "English" - it's origins lie within the Swiss Watch Industry.

    In my collection I have a rather nice (IMHO) and very different to Tonny's
    timepiece Cal. 97.

    The Watch

    The dial, original in a magnificent salmon/bronze color,

    Another intresting thing about this watch is the fact that it bears the
    Portuguese Goverment Customs & Excise smark and was stamped with the armadillo
    at Casa da Moeda (the official Goverment Mint).

  • Master
    29 Mar 2020, 2:38 p.m.

    I'm astounded ! what great examples are shown here today,

  • Master
    29 Mar 2020, 3:13 p.m.

    Heiko, I think
    you posted a post war observers watch, cal. 67 with all the original military
    extra's. It should be stay brite as well.

    Here is the only cal. 972 Bund pocket watch in the container that was used on
    the ship as the reference
    watch.

    It has the NATO Service Number 6645-12-151-5867 and only 47 were
    made.This is
    the box in which IWC packed it for the Bundesmarine. The case was steel, stay
    brite.

    Regards,

    Adrian,

    (alwaysiwc)

  • Master
    29 Mar 2020, 4:41 p.m.

    That´s right Adrian,

    but this is a cal. 97 thread and I wanted not swap to the cal. 67.
    Just a comparison cal. 67 and cal. 972.

    It´s just a matter of size. The shape is very similar.

    And a civillian ref. 5301, very similar to the ref. 5301 BUND.

    Regards

    Heiko

    And a 5301 BUND in perfect shape. With the blued hands one of the nicest IWC
    PW.

  • Master
    1 Apr 2020, 4:35 p.m.

    Many timepieces here Bob.... which one gets you salivating?