IWC Inception

It started slowly.

First with a picture of a trio of IWCs, then Dennis' recent IWC for sale, then the discovery of an old thread with some lovely pictures of large-ish 36mm cal 89. I was struck by the 'shark-fin' case 36mm cal 89 IWCs and how slim they were.

And now I can't get those shark-fin cases outta my head! Especially since there seem to be nice rose gold versions.

So after browsing on ebay (always a dangerous habit), there were a few:
- Watch A. Redial right? Case also overpolished I think, and no movement shot.
- Watch B. Erm, original dial? Case doesn't look so overpolished. But what's that brown stuff on the movement (just below the word 'metal')?
- Watch C. Yellow gold (slight pinkish hue?). Original dial too? No brown stuff on movement.
And all the watches don't have a 'fish' crown like Dennis' 1960's IWC - were 'fish' crowns originally present on 1950's IWCs?

So I was wondering:
1. Any comments opinions on watches A, B and C? Condition, general status (esp about dials) etc - I don't mind if someone tells me all 3 are cra*py, as I've just started looking.
2. There seem to be subtle differences in the curly bits of the font in 'International Watch Co' in the 3 ebay watches, and even amongst the examples in the old thread, but I'm not sure if this is merely an artefact of the lossy compession in JPEGs or indicative of redials. Did fonts vary according to decade?
3. Any idea how much these are going for now? Scanning old FS ads, I get the feeling the prices have gone up by 40-50% in the past year 🙁

Thanks as always folks!

ps. anyone who wants to try 'un-inceptioning' the IWCs out of my head is most welcome to try. As long as it's not too painful.

Far be it for me to "un-inception" anything out of your head. In fact, I have a well-deserved reputation as an enabler around here. Just ask Dennis!

Here are my quick thoughts about the 3 watches you posted:

A. I've purchased from this seller before and while they do like to use the polishing wheel way too much (and this one is no exception). Their watch guy has a good technique for cleaning up old dials. Their photography isn't the greatest so it does look like a redial at first glance. However, the "Swiss" is there and everything else looks in order, so it could very well be original. Crown has been replaced with a yellow gold one. If you ask for a movement picture, you'll probably get it. And he will negotiate.

B. I think this one has the nicest case of the three. However, it may have been exposed to water at some point. I can't tell if the stuff on the winding wheel is rust or the residue of rust removal. Either way, it's not good.

C. This one is the most "honest" of the bunch. Case is a bit worn and the dial has some patina. This is all good. But it is expensive.

My gut is that these are all on the high priced side, but that you could be looking a very long time for one in decent condition with a lower price. I do think there is a risk here, as these are not "rare" and the current prices may not be sustainable over the long term.

Then again, go compare these with the price of any new IWC. So what do I know?
gatorcpa

Thanks Gator for your quick reply! I hadn't noticed that the crown of Watch A was yellow gold. If only there was a watch with the movement of Watch C, and the case of Watch B. And were 1950's IWCs all equipped with a 'fish' crown?

You have a good point about pricing. Perhaps I should just wait patiently, as cal 89s aren't all that uncommon, and wait for my temporary infatuation to pass. Or maybe I should just hire the services of Lacuna Inc to edit my memory.😗

2 movie references already in one thread. Must stop...

Fish crowns were only for waterproof cases, which these aren't. So they should not have the fish.

gatorcpa