Gentlemen,
this wonderful forum is packed with knowledge, information and pictures of absolute amazing watches. I only own a very limited collection of IWC's but the path is clearly marked and there will be more of course.
I have not decided yet about this years' purchase but sooner or later I will.
Picking up the "first day with my first IWC" post, would you share some pictures ( if still possible ) of your first IWC?
This is mine:
Thanks everyone.
This was my first IWC back around 2000-01. I was checking watch stores on the West Coast of the US during my free time looking for a SS Rolex Daytona when I encounter Chaz at big IWC AD. He introduced me to the spitfire and as they say the rest is history. Twenty something IWCs later I still have and wear this double chrono spitfire.
Thanks for looking.
Kevin
PS Five years after this my wife found and purchased the Daytona for me.
It was love at first sight...
... joined the forum, and then all you enablers fuelled the fire!
regards,
thang
My first IWC was the Pilot's watch St Exupéry Chrono, which is still a special watch for me. When I saw it the first time, I was not too enthusiastic but as my feelings changed for the watch, it was sold! My AD did a great job and found one for me, apparently one of the last available.
Here are two pictures of the watch that I still wear regularly.
The beautiful brown Sunburst dial, very hard to capture in pictures:
The most beautiful lume watch in my humble collection:
As you all know, after the first IWC you are infected and more have followed over time.
Kind regards,
Clemens
On a visit to Zurich in 2008, my Swiss brother-in-law told me about a Swiss watch company located in the German-speaking part of the country. He also said it was started by an American. He showed me an IWC catalog and I was hooked! I came home, found the forum and started reading daily. My first purchase was my Mark XVI Spitfire, and it is still my most frequently worn IWC!
Photo by BillB
Six years ago, this one.
It was the 5441 Jubilee circa 1993 that started it all for me. After that my interest in the brand grew, and I now own 9 IWC's. Yikes.
Hi Kevin
My first IWC was exactly the same :-) I don't own it anymore, and I don't really miss it. There were several other IWCs coming, some went again. Currently, the virus is under control, as the newer models are not attractive anymore (to me). Maybe that will change again: Not only watches, but also people are coming and going ;-)
I started out buying Breitling, graduated to Panerai and on a trip to Switzerland took a factory tour conducted by Kurt Klaus. I was smitten with this and the rest is history.
Btw, I love the newer models ( not all, but many) and enjoy the repartee with all on the Forum.
First one a 14K savonette pocket watch from 1917 - practically NOS - given to me by my grandfather 30 years ago after he had kept it in his safe from new without using.
The next 10 pieces acquired during the last 20 years - mostly vintage. So now I have 11 IWC watches.
Year 2000, and I purchased a Mark XV on the original "grains of rice" bracelet, that so many have described as being like liquid steel. This is not my wrist, but it is the same model and bracelet I bought.
I didn't know back then that it would lead to many dozens of IWC's over the years, but more importantly, to a great group of friends made via this Forum.
That looks awesome. I love the Da Vinci's. Sharp photo!
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Hidden by on 8 Nov 2018, 4:43 p.m..
the 5001-14 started it all for me in early 2011, purchased as a 'it is about time I find out what is so special about an IWC', as documented here:
www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/26881/?page=7
and since then, well... this passion has grown and grown and grown with GTGs, SIHHs, and of course the IWC staff in Scaffhausen, Hong Kong and Singapore...but most importantly because of the friendships forged through engagement in this great forum.
lifted from that earlier post last year...
Shing says it best:
"And for me, the chief great benefit of my exposure and interaction with IWC is this - the shared excitement and positive energy that shines from the IWC collectors I have come to know, makes my world a better place, as I am sure it makes many of you here. While I still collect other brands, and find my collecting taste evolving to more 'modern brands' with more technological 'aesthetics', it is the community of IWC collectors centered around this forum, the meetings of collectors new and old, the regular email exchanges on our lives and watch acquisitions and assistance, activities precipitated by this very forum that makes it so very special, and our individual worlds and lives, a much better place. "
Absolutely agree. It has added a new and interesting chapter to my life as well. All because of a shared passion which developed out of an initial 5001 purchase.
I loved reading your post. Thanks!
Peter
This was my first IWC as a gift for a special event:
The plan was to stick to one but that didn't work out very well. ;-)
Peter
I aquireed the two book 125 yr. aniv. catalog ( 1993 } featuring the Jubilee & all the Porche Design Mods. in 1994 and was infected with the virus. My first aquisition was a P.D. Compass ( should have kept that one ). Moved on to the IWC models and bought & sold several finally deciding on nine IWC keepers, plus two Rolex & one Panerai. My Ing.3228/01 gets the most wrist time. I think I've finally beat the Virus! But then I keep coming back to this forum every morning.