Only Watch

Monte Carlo, Sep 22, 2005

LOT 19

IWC, Schaffhausen, Ingenieur, Automatic Ref. 3227, No. 1.

EUR 5,000 - 7,000

Sold: EUR 13,000

IWC Ingenieur Automatic Ref. 3227, limited to 100 individually numbered pieces, featuring an exclusive ardoise dial and personalised case back, mechanical movement with automatic Pellaton winding system. The very first piece (01/100) is being offered here, with a special engraving: COLLECTORS? FORUM 01/100 ASSOCIATION MONEGASQUE CONTRE LES MYOPATHIES ONLY WATCH 05 Automatic IWC movement caliber 80010 with Pellaton winding system ? 28 800 vibrations/h ? 28 jewels ? 44h Power reserve ? Stainless steel case and bracelet ? Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields of up to 80,000 A/m ? Shock-absorbing system ? Antireflective sapphire glass, resistant against pressure drop ? Screw-in crown ? Luminous elements on hands and indices ? IWC metal bracelet system with folding clasp ? Water-resistant to 120 m ? Diameter 42.5 mm ? Height 14.5mm


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Notes

IWC Schaffhausen. The dials bear the inscription ?IWC Schaffhausen?, and many a person may well be astonished to find a watch manufacturer of world renown, worlds apart from the horological bastion of western Switzerland. With a name that is anything but Swiss, the atypical profile of the International Watch Company arouses curiosity about its origins. There was once a young American, Florentine Ariosto Jones, from Boston, a master watchmaker with a good measure of idealism and shrewd business acumen to boot. It is now 137 years since he set out to manufacture extremely accurate pocket watch movements combining modern American production machines with the low Swiss wages of that time. Jones established his business in 1868 not far from the Rhine Falls and founded the International Watch Company, a cradle of creative precision watchmaking and outstanding engineering achievement. A legacy of pioneering spirit, verve and ambition were instilled into the manufactory by its founder. For the ?engineers of fine watchmaking?, pleasure in watches is more than pleasure in the accurate time. It is enthusiasm for an amazing idea. The interplay between precision and a creative solution. Accordingly, IWC has been devoting a tick more time to watches. In the horological specialities segment, watch lovers are full of praise for the creative engineering art from Schaffhausen. Grande Complication, Da Vinci and Portuguese are the names of these exclusive timepieces. Ingenieur, Pilot?s watches, Aquatimer and Portofino are in the traditional watches/timepieces sector, with their sporting/practical design and cases made of stainless steel or titanium.