Live Auction 1391Important Watches, including A Gentleman's Pursuit for Excellence, Part I
IWC. A very fine and rare stainless steel oversized wristwatch with two-tone silvered dial
Lot 75

IWC. A very fine and rare stainless steel oversized wristwatch with two-tone silvered dial

SIGNED INTERNATIONAL WATCH CO., SCHAFFHAUSEN, PORTUGIESER MODEL, MOVEMENT NO. 931'766, CASE NO. 1'016'914, CIRCA 1940

Closed12 November 2012

Price Realised

CHF 43,750

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IWC. A very fine and rare stainless steel oversized wristwatch with two-tone silvered dial
Signed International Watch Co., Schaffhausen, Portugieser model, movement no. 931'766, case no. 1'016'914, circa 1940
Cal. 74, 17''' H4 gilt-finished mechanical movement, 19 jewels, two-tone silvered dial, gilt baton and Arabic numerals, gold hands, subsidiary seconds, large circular case with downturned lugs, large crown, snap on back, case, dial and movement signed
42 mm. diam.

Specialist note

In the late 1930s, IWC received a rather unusual order from a customer in Portugal who requested a wristwatch with the same size and accuracy of a pocket watch. To comply with his request, IWC chose their at the time slimmest and most reliable calibre 74 movement and cased it in stainless steel. This revolutionary model immediately became a legend and classic amongst collectors and was also the obvious choice to celebrate the company's 125th anniversary in 1993 with the launch of a limited edition of total 1000 examples.