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Walrus
·
A little help with this find
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Walrus
·Well FYI I dropped this off at the watchmaker to see if anything can be done. I have not had time to do and due diligence I have no clue if this is a decent movement or what have you all I know is it was in a gold case that he melted for 350 bucks or so. I felt the need to at least try to save it if possible. If it’s not possible to find a generic case I guess I can put it on flea bay or see if someone local needs it. Waiting to hear back if he had any ideas probably not likely but worth a try I guess.
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redpcar
·I've done the exact same thing. Case could be better but fit perfect. PM me if you want more info.
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TimeODanaos
·Is the movement very thin? Its serial number suggests it's cal 171 from 1966. If so, IWC based that on the long-serving Frederic Piguet cal 21 at a time when they urgently needed to satisfy the contemporary the-thinner-the-better demands of the market. There were only about a couple thousand made, so if so big shame it's gone. 🙁
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Dan S
·Looks like a cal 401.
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TimeODanaos
·Getting invested in this question now - I'm hoping for Walrus to tell us, but I don't want to re-awaken the emotions stirred by the melt while they are still a bit raw...
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Walrus
·Is the movement very thin? Its serial number suggests it's cal 171 from 1966. If so, IWC based that on the long-serving Frederic Piguet cal 21 at a time when they urgently needed to satisfy the contemporary the-thinner-the-better demands of the market. There were only about a couple thousand made, so if so big shame it's gone. 🙁
Edited:
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Dan S
·I think the caliber is actually engraved under the balance. Maybe you can read it with a loupe or macro lens photo.
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Walrus
·Oh and to top it off he was asking me to help him determine if a pocket watch he had was silver. I did look for hallmarks I figured even though I’m not into pocket watches I would work something out with him as I have a few friends who are into pocket watches but in case you didn’t know pocket watches are being destroyed regularly as the price of silver is up right now.
People gotta make a buck I understand I try to be open minded but I stopped into one shop to ask about watches, they guy got all snotty and said, “ I’m melting down the pocket watches I’m tired of you guys trying to get my silver.” I politely explained I was looking for wrist watches preferably not precious metal he said “oh sorry and showed me some invictas.”
People gotta make a buck I understand I try to be open minded but I stopped into one shop to ask about watches, they guy got all snotty and said, “ I’m melting down the pocket watches I’m tired of you guys trying to get my silver.” I politely explained I was looking for wrist watches preferably not precious metal he said “oh sorry and showed me some invictas.”
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ghce
·What pisses me off by all this wholesale destruction of Gold and Silver cased watches is that a watch such as the IWC and many other good brands are probably worth more to a collector than the gold value alone would be.
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JwRosenthal
·What pisses me off by all this wholesale destruction of Gold and Silver cased watches is that a watch such as the IWC and many other good brands are probably worth more to a collector than the gold value alone would be.
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Screwbacks
·i used to have a similar iwc like this in a cal89. mine was a redial so i let go of it. the "w" wing is much shorter.
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Walrus
·Well got a little more info. @Dan S was correct it’s a caliber 401 movement is apparently 11 Linge in size if I am saying that correct. I went as far as calling IWC today the want me to send it in so they can see if they have a case for it available but something tells me that would probably cost me much more than the watch is worth. Did some hunting on flea bay when I had some down time at work things didn’t look to promising. Watchmaker said nice movement, although he just gave it a quick glance I don’t know if the movement has an issues but it does run. So maybe I’ll try to incorporate other needed measurements and who knows maybe there is a timex case that would work. I don’t really care, to me it’s just about saving what’s left of the watch. It would be very cool to do so but I don’t have my hopes up. I can give it some time poking around and I did reach out to the member here who was gracious enough to offer any information if he can. So I guess I’ll either make it happen, find a safe container to store it in snd just hold on to it or put it on eBay. Thanks for the feedback.
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ghce
·Well got a little more info. @Dan S was correct it’s a caliber 401 movement is apparently 11 Linge in size if I am saying that correct. I went as far as calling IWC today the want me to send it in so they can see if they have a case for it available but something tells me that would probably cost me much more than the watch is worth. Did some hunting on flea bay when I had some down time at work things didn’t look to promising. Watchmaker said nice movement, although he just gave it a quick glance I don’t know if the movement has an issues but it does run. So maybe I’ll try to incorporate other needed measurements and who knows maybe there is a timex case that would work. I don’t really care, to me it’s just about saving what’s left of the watch. It would be very cool to do so but I don’t have my hopes up. I can give it some time poking around and I did reach out to the member here who was gracious enough to offer any information if he can. So I guess I’ll either make it happen, find a safe container to store it in snd just hold on to it or put it on eBay. Thanks for the feedback.
A man after my own heart! I cannot stand to see an incomplete or faulty watch most certainly not a very nice one like that and I will often spend far more ( sometimes 2 to 3 times ) than the value of the watch getting it right.
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TimeODanaos
·I'm glad there's at least a chance of some progress with this, and well done again to the @Walrus . But I am left a bit puzzled still. As @Dan S said, this does look like a cal 401, and it turns out that's because... it is! But now I'm having to question my faith in my look-up tables (Tölke-King). If I read the serial number right, this watch really should be something different. Just don't get it... 😕
Whatever, good luck with this, and down with smelters!
Whatever, good luck with this, and down with smelters!
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gatorcpa
··ΩF InvestiGatorHere is a picture of an IWC cal. 171 movement:
Similar, but not the same. Your serial number seems to have fooled the IWC movement date app, which lists your movement as a cal. 171.
Hope this helps,
gatorcpa
Similar, but not the same. Your serial number seems to have fooled the IWC movement date app, which lists your movement as a cal. 171.
Hope this helps,
gatorcpa
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TimeODanaos
·Here is a picture of an IWC cal. 171 movement:
Similar, but not the same. Your serial number seems to have fooled the IWC movement date app, which lists your movement as a cal. 171.
Hope this helps,
gatorcpa
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Walrus
·Thanks, and you're quite right about the number - but there's no suggestion there's anything wrong with the OP watch movement, so I guess the lesson is, rely on my eyes, not the app!
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