IWC wristwatch with period larger (35mm) solid 18K case in completely original condition. The dial is in pristine condition with a silver sun-ray structure and gold/black onyx inserts. Both case and case-back is solid 18K gold. Dial and hands are 100% original (not refinished) and looks perfect. The watch has had a recent (late 2011) movement service, and has not been used since. It performs perfectly! The 8541B movement is the last series of the original IWC in-house Pellaton movements. It is the same movement as is used in the original Ingenieur automatic models. Except for some very minor hairlines on the lugs the watch looks more or less NOS/new. The case-back has inscriptions. I will leave it up to the new owner to leave it there or have it removed. It is not deep, and I have confirmed with a goldsmith that this may be easily done. I have however kept it since I personally like a vintage watch to retain some history. (I have removed the persons name on the case back picture in order to maintain privacy). It will be delivered on a high quality (unused) brown Hirsch crocodile strap (not the one in the pictures). The buckle is gold-plated / unsigned. Receipt documenting the movement service with a renowned UK watchmaker will follow. The watch comes including a IWC marked, black travel case (modern). Please study the images, and feel free to contact me with any questions. Additional images are available upon request. The watch and I resides in Norway, however shipping internally in the EU may be arranged as I travel frequently. PayPal or bank transfer accepted. Asking EUR €2.400. or reasonable offers. I am open for trades in vintage chronographs such as Omega 320/321's and Lemania's in general. Money both ways possible. request.
New price... X-mas and New Year coming up! Do I need to say this one goes well with formal attire?! EUR2100 OBRO with EU/EC shipping (if so desired) included!
Wondering: is this caliber (8541) a slow- or quick-set date? Beautiful watch! I must have missed it when you first listed it.
The 8541B has a kind of a quick-set date function in the way that you only move the time between 23:45 and 24:00 in order to advance the date. It also has a hacking feature. It is a truly fantastic movement. The last in line of the vintage IWC Pellaton automatics before IWC moved to ETA. Only in the last years have they started making their own movements in-house again, and the Pellaton winding has returned. This specific watch has the 35mm case, compared to the 33 and 34 mm diameter of much of the other 853x and 854x cases from that period. It actually wears like a "modern" mans watch.
The 8541B and it's cousin in the Ingenieur of the day were the finest (and last) iteration of the 85-series movements. Generally accepted as one of the finest automatic movements ever designed and manufactured. Even when you consider the in-house (early) automatics from the Big Three, it just does not get much better than this.