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IWC Mark XI

jantjewgm
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Good afternoon,
First of all, I would like to share my latest acquisition. I think it is a really cool watch.
All original and in very good condition IWC 6B/346.
I tried to replace the crystal, but my friend told me it has a special kind of crystal with some sort of hooks. I decided it is better to source the crystal first and then bring it to a watchmaker. Does anyone knows where I can find the correct crystal for this watch? Can’t seem to find it.
Thanks in advance!
 
75FACDF6-C59F-44FE-8541-01C1BE07F5EC.jpeg C7B49C02-6C36-46AD-B7AC-07DBAED60070.jpeg 354207C1-7ACE-4BF6-BA17-334CC03D243B.jpeg ADF096FE-826C-4284-A3C4-0AFA22F1F0CF.jpeg 3E5C5ADB-8F72-4345-9903-B1D5CD8F95CD.jpeg
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If I remember correctly there are 2 types of crystals for these, a flatter one and a more domed one, the former being very difficult to find but the latter easier. I will look it up.
 
size11s
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OK. I asked a very knowledgable friend and the crystals are unavailable but it is possible to modify a Sternkreuz underlayed crystal, presumably by turning the inner flange to the correct shape on a lathe. Sorry not to have better news.
Edited:
 
size11s
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You prompted me to dig mine out, an uncommon variation with a no circle T.
IWC MK11 ON WRIST 01.jpg
 
davidswiss
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If the scratches aren't too deep use why not use some polywatch on the crystal ?
 
watchyouwant
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You prompted me to dig mine out, an uncommon variation with a no circle T.
IWC MK11 ON WRIST 01.jpg

Somebody added that . Looks like a try and ( unfortunately ) error undertaking ... Not professional work.
 
size11s
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watchyouwant watchyouwant
Somebody added that . Looks like a try and ( unfortunately ) error undertaking ... Not professional work.
Hi Achim, I agree it's really clumsily applied, most likely by a trainee in the REME. There are a few known, all quite badly applied, it is an 'accepted variant'. The non circled T is mentioned in Man is Not lost, part 3 by Koenig, Steer and Khan, pp. 190, last paragraph.
 
watchyouwant
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I've never accepted that miserably done " T " as an
"accepted" military variant. And expressed my view to Greg and Thomas at the time of their research for this article , when they asked me for my experience. Military it is anyway with Arrow of the Kings on the dial. I bought 100's of unused IWC Mk 11 in the early1990's at the Bermondsy market in London in wooden boxes of 12 , issued and NOS for Pounds 60. Repaired many in the past ; UK, RNZAF , RAAF and SAAF. Your Dial's Lume is redone later, as seen with the typical middle shrinking/indentation of water based tritium ( triangle) . So, you might call that an educated Opinion. That's all it is. From a time of abundance of Mil. Watches from Government auctions.
 
Fish70
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I've never accepted that miserably done " T " as an
"accepted" military variant. And expressed my view to Greg and Thomas at the time of their research for this article , when they asked me for my experience. Military it is anyway with Arrow of the Kings on the dial. I bought 100's of unused IWC Mk 11 in the early1990's at the Bermondsy market in London in wooden boxes of 12 , issued and NOS for Pounds 60. Repaired many in the past ; UK, RNZAF , RAAF and SAAF. Your Dial's Lume is redone later, as seen with the typical middle shrinking/indentation of water based tritium ( triangle) . So, you might call that an educated Opinion. That's all it is. From a time of abundance of Mil. Watches from Government auctions.

And now they are 8K+. I really wish I would have been into watches when I was 20 😁
 
watchyouwant
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Don't worry. I wish I could have kept these NOS watches in boxes as well ... Onsold them for 100% profit and thought, we are the Kings . Same with Rolex Milsubs at auctions then ....
 
size11s
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I've never accepted that miserably done " T " as an
"accepted" military variant. And expressed my view to Greg and Thomas at the time of their research for this article , when they asked me for my experience. Military it is anyway with Arrow of the Kings on the dial. I bought 100's of unused IWC Mk 11 in the early1990's at the Bermondsy market in London in wooden boxes of 12 , issued and NOS for Pounds 60. Repaired many in the past ; UK, RNZAF , RAAF and SAAF. Your Dial's Lume is redone later, as seen with the typical middle shrinking/indentation of water based tritium ( triangle) . So, you might call that an educated Opinion. That's all it is. From a time of abundance of Mil. Watches from Government auctions.

We were searching Bermondsey market early in the morning at the same time, I wasn't looking for watches, unfortunately. Yes, the lume is redone, in my opinion by the REME along with the T, who else would do a T so 'miserably". Are you saying that you think it is redone later by non military?

It would be great to see if you had any pics of the unused watches in the 12 watch wooden supply boxes.
 
watchyouwant
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Yes, non military, hand painted T . When the MoD auctioned the IWC Mk11 , there was a rather large position of NOS IWC spare parts. Bought by 2 UK dealers. Everything. Cases. Mvmts. Hands. Inner screw in glass holders. Crowns. Backs. But: Not enough dials for the completion of Watches. That's the reason for the strange Mk 11 brass dials with a fancy font in black and off white colour. Then these dealers sold them and invented a story, that the white Dial examples were for the Navy pilots and extremely rare ! Which worked many years and they fetched a hefty premium. Everyone who was duped in buying one, added to that bogus tale to keep the value high ... A few of us older Mil. Watch guys debunked that in the end... Many tears were shed. ( I might still have a black one somewhere ... )
With that background info it was clear, that original used dials were very valuable and that's when the hand painted T examples showed up. A scratch free IWC Mk11 with a used dial would have been in the Reserve and subject to removal of Radium and replaced with tritium . Which needed that T.... And to the pictures: That was the beginning of the Internet. Fotos we're done with 35 mm Film. The Market was only fruitful in the dark and early hours of the day. No light = no Pictures. And later there was no need to photograph the wooden boxes; everybody knew that the watch Heads came in these boxes. Don't recall if they came in 4 rows a' 3 watches or 3 rows a' 4 watches ... Too many watches in my hands since .
Edited:
 
jantjewgm
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OK, I found some, have pm'ed you with details.

thanks a lot, I really appreciate it.

davidswiss davidswiss
If the scratches aren't too deep use why not use some polywatch on the crystal ?

There is a crack in the crystal as well, I tried polishing so it is at least wearable, but the crack is bothering me 🙁
 
jantjewgm
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I've never accepted that miserably done " T " as an
"accepted" military variant. And expressed my view to Greg and Thomas at the time of their research for this article , when they asked me for my experience. Military it is anyway with Arrow of the Kings on the dial. I bought 100's of unused IWC Mk 11 in the early1990's at the Bermondsy market in London in wooden boxes of 12 , issued and NOS for Pounds 60. Repaired many in the past ; UK, RNZAF , RAAF and SAAF. Your Dial's Lume is redone later, as seen with the typical middle shrinking/indentation of water based tritium ( triangle) . So, you might call that an educated Opinion. That's all it is. From a time of abundance of Mil. Watches from Government auctions.

Very interesting! I agree with @Fish70 , I started this hobby way too late.. But I can imagine nobody back then expected such high prices in the future.
 
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Thanks Achim, interesting. I remember the dark, cold mornings at Bermondsey searching through boxes of prints and paintings.

Are you suggesting that my dial is a brass dial? As it isn't. The rest of the dial is correct to my eye and knowledge. If a dealer had a large batch of spare military dials and wanted to relume in tritium and put a T on them they would surely do a better job than that, given values as you say. I think it is much more likely that they were brought into service with tritium by the MoD where there would be no thought to 'deceive', in any way, or a great diligence of quality control. But differing opinions are part of what makes the hobby interesting.
 
watchyouwant
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Thanks Achim, interesting. I remember the dark, cold mornings at Bermondsey searching through boxes of prints and paintings.

Are you suggesting that my dial is a brass dial? As it isn't. The rest of the dial is correct to my eye and knowledge. If a dealer had a large batch of spare military dials and wanted to relume in tritium and put a T on them they would surely do a better job than that, given values as you say. I think it is much more likely that they were brought into service with tritium by the MoD where there would be no thought to 'deceive', in any way, or a great diligence of quality control. But differing opinions are part of what makes the hobby interesting.

No, yours is a correct soft iron dial. It's just the hand drawn T .... And, no , quite the opposite regarding the MoD auctions of spare parts. There were not enough soft iron dials auctioned, to make/complete new watches from the spare parts. The dealer ended up with perfect NOS Mk 11 parts watches , but used or non Tritium dials. The selling argument at the time was, that these were Reserve Mk 11 , but after the switch to Tritium, these were the Stock reserve , which received the "Tritium treatment" and therefore needed the T. They could have asked a dial reprinter to add the correct circle T , but so many reached the markets, that they thought to get away with a lousy hand drawn uneven T ....
 
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