The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[Newcomer]



IWC is Swiss, but in the German part of Switzerland, whereas most watchmakers are in the French portion. That has always significantly impacted their watchmaking ethos, and also made them the natural choice when Lange needed expertise to re-launch itself. So, yes, I think it is fair to say that IWC is more Germanic in design than its other Swiss competitors.

How does anglage on non-moving plates decrease friction? All the movement of other parts will be lateral to the plates' surface. Perlage and Geneva stripes, on the other hand, are very functional for that reason.

On non-moving plates, yes, anglage does not decrease friction. However, on moving parts, it is very functional:

Furthermore, it also assists with assembly and with repair, as the sharp edges do not "catch."

And your perspective is interest with respect to IWC's watchmaking "ethos." Although I agree that it may be their "cited" reason, do you really think that they do not want to engage in greater hand-finishing because it would otherwise clash with their "ethos?"

And interesting points with respect to their heritage being more German than Switzerland. Admittedly, I am not very familiar with much of Switzerland's cultural background!

 

[TheFoo]

Anglage on gear teeth like you show is not common, even amongst the high-end makers mentioned. Since gears only rotate laterally, I cannot see how that kind of finishing would be helpful. The profile and regularity of the teeth are infinitely more important, and what we look to when judging movement design and finish. You generally want very sharp, defined edges on teeth, not anything rounded off. After all, precision is key. As for other moving parts that go unseen, IWC does chamfer where it is functional.

What do you mean by "greater hand-finishing?" Again, there is a difference between the degree of embellishment, and the quality of finish. In terms of embellishment, IWC movements don't really register. They have always verged on a more serious, engineered approach. So, superficial anglage is not to be seen (such as on plates). I see great merit in this more honest approach. A lot of more eye-catching movements distract you with flourish, but lack in true quality of finish. In contrast, IWC finishing has been known to be painfully immaculate, though more spartan. Does that make IWC finishing less "great?" I don't think so at all. I'm much more interested in how well the finishing applied has been executed. How fine and regular are the cotes de Geneve? Are edges razor sharp or are they burred and pitted under magnification? Is perlage applied with care, such that the "pearls" are equal in size and placed in a regular, consistent pattern, or is it haphazard (such as in the case of Rolex)? Are you more interested in dazzle or quality?

Switzerland is a cross-section of Italian, German, and French culture. Different parts of the country are more given to one than the other. IWC has always been the only major manufacture in the German-speaking region. Hence, the watches have always been more austere and less given to whimsy.

As for whether IWC could embellish their movements more than they do: as I pointed out above, all the finishing you see on Lange watches was taught to Lange by IWC. However, Lange finishing is far from "honest." The most obvious example of what I mean is the screwed chatons securing the jewels. The screws and chatons are completely without added function. They just look pretty. Nobody else uses them and Lange thought it would be one way to distinguish themselves.

 

[chocsosa]

A gift from my uncle after undergrad. Have had this bad boy for over 10 years..My first real watch..


Does not get a lot of play because I'm not a fan of gold tone watches or metal straps.. but I break it out here and there..

 

[in stitches]

technically, IWC is kind of american. USA USA USA USA!!!

apropos - great info on JLC engraving and enameling. much appreciated.

 

[in stitches]



New shoes for the Speedy 9300. Worn on the bracelet since day one, I decided to try it out on a strap. I dug through the strap drawer and found a nice Camille Fournet in semi-glosse black gator, but thought it looked a touch too formal on this sporty watch. So I tried this matte medium brown TWB croc instead:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

i think that looks quite nice on the brown.

Quote: If you can find someone that is willing to part with there Collection Privee Cartier Tank XL (although I am biased) thats a watch I would try to track down. Its an icon.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

There maybe be several Tank style watches, but its a signature piece from Cartier which they first introduced around 1917. They made 200 in rose and 50 in platinum. The base movement is a Piaget, finished to Cartier's own standards, and its rectangular (most companies stuff a smaller round movement in a rectangular case because its less expensive to use in the long run as it can be used in round pieces also). Whether someone would be willing to sell theirs to you for $10K...I don't know. The few others I know that own them, love them and aren't parting with them. Still no harm in looking/asking. There are some other variations on Tanks from Cartier that are also quite nice...and you may be able to get for less as there are many more of them out there like the Tank Americaine. The Tank Chinoise from Cartier is also a cool design, a tad smaller but very handsome...its a bit more square than rectangular. Here are a few photos of mine. Best regards, Dino P. S. Also if you're just looking for rectangular watch and not necessarily a Tank the JLC Reverso offers many great options.

looks positively lovely. especially the back.

 

[Kaplan]



The "watches for men" tagline has been around since at least 2004. It was actually quite controversial at the time. I happen to like it, as it captures the right spirit of a serious tool watch by being direct and to the point.

Ads playing on IWC being watches for men goes a good deal further back than that. When the Swiss ad agency GGK was in charge (1978-1995), they had lines like 'IWC. Since 1868 and for as long as men still exist'. Wirz Werbung then took over (1996-2004) with lines like 'Men earn more than women. For example an IWC.'

technically, IWC is kind of american.

IWC was obviously started by an American, Florentine Ariosto Jones (who went to Switzerland in 1868 to make watches for the US market, as trained watchmakers were cheaper there than back in the US). He went bankrupt in about '76 and from 1879 IWC became a Swiss family business (Jung became part of this family).

I agree that aesthetically there's nothing IWC does now, that they haven't done better in the past.

 

[nttdocomo]

Yep, there are special leather straps which are sweat resistant but none of them have performed well for me. I usually use a Perlon (woven nylon) strap, and IMO that would suit the Speedmaster.

This is a Perlon strap:



Rubber straps just feel sticky to me, but YMMV.

BTW temperatures in most of SE Asia rarely reach 40C, but it often feels much much much worse due to the humidity!!
It's an absolutely fantastic watch, and one that I would be more than proud to own.

If I were to get a Tank, it would have to be the ref. W1551551 - I think it is the platinum version of your tank, if yours is the 30x39mm one.

Looks nice! As for temperatures reaching 40C... well, I'm in Tokyo, and I can assure you that in summer, many days at 39.9C were recorded each summer for the last few years

 

[mans72]

hi guys, sporting this today...

 

[marvin100]

men attracted to 46mm "watches for men" tend overwhelmingly to actually be... pricks.

You may want to ask yourself who, precisely, is being a "prick" in this conversation. Poor form, sir.

 

[RogerP]

A gift from my uncle after undergrad. Have had this bad boy for over 10 years..My first real watch..


Does not get a lot of play because I'm not a fan of gold tone watches or metal straps.. but I break it out here and there..

Very nice - watches that have some personal history attached are always special. If it were mine, I'd set aside the bracelet, pair it with a nice brown croc strap and wear the heck out of it.

 

[Belligero]

It seems to me that if IWC's movements are so well-engineered, they wouldn't have the accuracy problems that seem to affect their big auto.

By the way, very good discussion lately; there have been quite a few knowledgeable and well-written posts in the last few days!

 

[RogerP]

^^^ Agreed. There was a thread a while back on WUS, with numerous IWC owners reporting on the timekeeping performance of their watches with the 8 day movement. The results were, in my view, appalling. All the chest-thumping about a functional approach to movement finishing rings a bit hollow when the actual function of the movement - accurate measurement of the passage of time - is quantifiably lacking.

 

[Belligero]



You may want to ask yourself who, precisely, is being a "prick" in this conversation. Poor form, sir.

Hey, stereotypes are for a reason.

I'd rather read someone's real and non-sugarcoated opinion — especially coming from someone with Apropos' depth and breath of knowledge — than the usual mollycoddling drivel that passes for discussion on the forums where everyone is a special flower. The freedom of being able to say what you mean, without condescending and humourless moderation turning the place into a wasteland of clueless noobs, is what makes this the best watch thread on the internet and brings in the heavy hitters who know how to write.

 

[rnguy001]

As an owner of the 5001 and 5004 models (both 7 day movements) I will say I really love them both. For me they have been very special pieces and I enjoy wearing them immensely. I realize (especially the BP) that they're not for everyone, but personally I think they're great watches and have been everything to me that I hoped they would. (classic, singular pieces in my collection) Admittedly they are NOT accurate at all, and as much as I adore the rest of the watch, there's no hiding that the 7 day movements just don't compare in terms of accuracy to other watches (JLC for example are deadly accurate) That being said, I'm also a big fan of IWC. I'm also a big fan of my JLC NSA and my modern 9300 Omega and my p9000 caliber PAM. I realize that these watches aren't popular with the SF forum, but I enjoy sharing them, and learning about the other brands and watches here. I guess I"m not sure why there's this resentment towards IWC. I understand their current designs and probably their direction as a brand seems to go against their history, but I'm not sure it truly justifies the animosity it sometimes gets. Aside from the huge Hollywood-ish galas, IWC has been great in promoting its watches in general, and yes as polarizing as they can be, I feel they can offer a nice change-up to other more classic models and brands out there. Whether one feels they are over-priced for what they offer is debatable, since hey do sell pretty well in the US and overseas, I do appreciate their role in the watch market as a choice for many watch lovers who appreciate their aesthetic - not good not bad, just IWC. And I agree people should be encouraged to voice their opinions no matter how taboo or harsh it may seem or come across, certainly there are many many guys on here whose knowledge and writing skills blow mine out of the water; but in the end I'm just happy to learn a thing or two here every now and then and contribute when I can. Noob? Maybe. Prick? I highly doubt. I think it's pretty obvious to everyone who the real pricks on the forum can sometimes be.. and I'll leave it at that. Wearing my BP to my friend's post-wedding brunch today. Have to work like mad in the next several days so trying to enjoy what's left of this weekend.

 

[in stitches]



Very nice - watches that have some personal history attached are always special.  If it were mine, I'd set aside the bracelet, pair it with a nice brown croc strap and wear the heck out of it.

yes. i also think this is a great idea.