IWC. A fine and rare stainless steel self-winding water-resistant anti-magnetic wristwatch with sweep centre seconds and date

The celebrated Ingenieur model was developed by Albert Pellaton, IWC's technical director responsible for the creation of the firm's first automatic movement, calibres 81 and 85. Calibre 852, the next generation with central seconds, was the first self-winding movement encased under a soft-iron core, introduced under the name "Ingenieur" in 1955. Produced for the civilian market, the functional Ingenieur (German for engineer) was available in gold, steel and steel and gold and with a variety of dial styles.

The distinctive and famous logo of an arrow passing through the name "Ingenieur" is a reminiscent of the Swiss thunderbolt icon which warns of the presence of an electrical current. The thunderbolt symbol was chosen to mark the model's anti-magnetic properties, the soft iron shield protecting the movement against magnetic fields.

Considered one of the earliest "tool" watches and with its distinctive, timeless design, the early Ingenieur model enjoys cult status amongst collectors.