Photo Credit: ConnoisseurOfTime
Men's 18K Gold Vintage IWC Dress Watch from 1969
Asking Price: $1,720 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This stylish men's vintage IWC dress watch from 1969 has a cushion-shaped, solid 18 karat gold case and a manual-wind, 17-jewel IWC caliber 422 movement.
-This vintage IWC dress watch measures 31.5 mm (1.24 inches) wide by 36 mm (1.42 inches) long, including the lugs. This was a standard men's sized watch for its time, but would be considered fairly small by today's standards.
-Founded in 1868, IWC (International Watch Co. Schaffhausen) is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer that isn't nearly as well known to the general public as Rolex or Omega. However, knowledgeable vintage wristwatch enthusiasts are irresistibly drawn to this underappreciated watch brand because of its enduring quality and commitment to horological excellence.
-I love the simplicity of the Roman numeral dial and the elegant, uncluttered lines of this vintage IWC dress watch. In addition, the watch is in excellent overall condition (with a single exception that is noted in the cons section below).
-The IWC caliber 422 is a high quality, manual-wind, 17-jewel movement that was produced exclusively in-house in IWC's factory in Schaffhausen, Switzerland for only 4 years, from 1966 to 1969. The caliber 422 movement in this vintage IWC dress watch is inscribed with the serial number 1,915,336, indicating it was made in 1969.
-The seller, Connoisseur of Time, is a respected dealer with excellent feedback who has been selling watches on eBay since 1999 and Etsy since 2014.
-The Swiss city of Schaffhausen is renowned for its superb design aesthetics. This not only applies to its luxury mechanical watches, but also to its vintage Swiss shooting medals.
-The dial on this vintage IWC dress watch is completely original - an assessment confirmed by the dial's subtle patina and scattered age spots. A vintage European mechanical wristwatch with its original dial intact will command a price premium versus the same watch with a refinished dial.
-This exquisite 18 karat gold vintage IWC dress watch has been freshly serviced and comes with a 1-year warranty. It is ready to wear to your next formal event!
-Vintage solid karat gold dress watches are a great investment in today's watch market. But don't take my word for it. The well-known watch connoisseur website Hodinkee singled-out vintage karat gold IWC dress watches as one of its top ten undervalued wristwatches.
-Given the fact that this vintage IWC dress watch sports a high quality, caliber 422 movement housed in a solid 18 karat gold case, I find the asking price of $1,720 to be absurdly low.
14K & 18K Gold Vintage IWC Dress Watches For Sale
Cons:
-The seller notes that there might be a slight bend in the top (12 o'clock) lug. In my opinion, this is rather minor as both lugs will always be covered by the watch band and will never be visible when worn. It is my contention that the seller probably mentioned this potential (minor) defect out of an abundance of caution.
-Being a dress watch, this vintage IWC lacks the sweeping seconds hand that some wristwatch collectors simply can't do without.
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