Albert Pellaton’s first movement for IWC was the manual wind calibre 89, and it was a masterpiece – in production for thirty three years!
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the serial number on the movement we can accurately date this watch to being made in 1956.
CONDITION
Calibre 89 first appeared in the IWC Mark XI, ordered by the British Military and now highly collectible (you can budget £6,000 to find a good one). It has the qualities that the military were needing – accuracy, reliability and robust enough to stand up to whatever was thrown at it. You can read more about calibre 89 in an article by Quill & Pen here called Exceptional Movements. So it is good, and it is also nicely finished, with beveled edges on the bridges and wide Côtes de Genève striped decoration too. It is also very tactile – few movements few as nice to wind. It is fitted into a Staybrite case, which was an early name for stainless steel. The blue dial has a fleck to it and is likely a restored dial. The wide hands are also beveled to make them clear in most conditions. The leather strap is new, and could be swapped for a different colour or material if preferred. The watch is signed on the dial, case and movement.
This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 36.4 mm
Width without crown 34.7 mm
Between lugs 18 mm
Lug to lug length 42.2 mm
Case Thickness 11.0 mm
All sizes are approximate. The watch is photographed on a wrist of 190mm/7.5 inches.
Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.
