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rkman11
·I truly cannot believe I am writing this post... I LOVE THIS WATCH. And that is not hyperbole, it's my darn avatar on the site! As many on this forum know, I searched for a loooong time to find this watch. Almost two years to be exact. I wasn't after just any IWC. Not just any cal. 89 (arguably one of the greatest hand wound movements ever made) but THIS one, an R521 - in solid 18K rose gold with those incredible shark fin/ribbon lugs! I think from a design standpoint it's one of the most beautiful mid century dress watches ever.
And why did it take so long to find? Well, people hold on to them, but then the ones that do come up have either been over polished and so many, almost all that I found, have had the dials redone. I finally found this original beauty - I don't like to over sell, but to my eye and to my watchmaker's eye, it's basically untouched. So I jumped on it - and I have been in love ever since. I even hunted down an original, period buckle to complete this...
So now why I am selling it? Why I am doing this to myself knowing letting it go will haunt my dreams for the rest of my days??? Because I've made a strict rule: one watch in, one watch out. I wasn't good at following it in 2019... I am trying to be better in 2020. And so the sickness goes - I have my eye on another piece, so I am trying, hard as it may be, to follow my own rule.
Okay, that's more than enough of my crying, on to pics and details!
The case: YES, can we talk about that case??? 18K solid rose gold, and oversized/jumbo at 37mm (with 18mm lugs) which is amazing considering this is an early 1960s piece. The size is incredible, perfect on my 6.5 inch wrist for a bit of presence while still retaining the vintage appear, and great for larger wrists that usually aren't able to wear vintage dress watches at 33/34mm. And just an awesome design! Those lugs - those shark fin lugs - let's have a closer look:
Again, I don't like to over sell and I think too often people use the term "never polished" which, for an almost 60 year old watch, is impossible to guarantee. So I will just say that for an 18K watch the case is as crisp as I've ever seen!
Even in macro it's hard to see any wear, save for the faintest of scratches. She has clearly been babied. The hallmarks are present and crisp as well, and it retains its original crown, which so many seem to have been replaced over the years:
The dial: Pure and elegant beauty! Again, all original. All crisp. And as clean as I ever saw on my 2 year hunt! As a VERY picky collector myself, I will note there are little tiny marks here and there that are even hard to see in macro. They require the right angle and right light, and my OCD eyes! But I do see small speckles/age wear here and there, as to be expected on a nearly white dialed watch of this age. (Hard to photograph such a light dial - please excuse my shadow!)
Crystal: Very hard to see, even in macro, but there are scratches. With the light dial, you can see them in very direct sunlight. I opted not to replace the crystal during service because, although with these you can't say for sure, we believed, given the close to untouched condition, it's the original crystal so I opted to give her a light Polywatch and leave all original.
Movement: I immediately took this watch to my watchmaker, Shant's Watch Repair in Pasadena, and had it fully serviced. That was 6 months ago, so it's running like new, winding and setting perfectly and keeping fantastic time. And there is still 6 months warranty left on his work. My watchmaker was really impressed, and noted he thought the movement had not been touched before. Or if it had, very minimally. Said it was the cleanest cal. 89 he had ever seen. Again, his words, but I think the pictures back that up (these were taken right before the service.) Serial numbers partially covered, but are fully intact, and from my research dates this piece to around 1962.
Buckle/strap: Another star of the show here is this period correct buckle. This don't come up often. I found one through a trusted member here, that was in rough shape so I had it replated in rose gold (which is slightly newer looking, of course, but looks fantastic!) Pic of the buckle and then macro shots of the insides before the replating, where you can see, although faint, the original markings:
Watch will come on the darker 18mm Hadley Roma leather strap pictured here (not the lighter one on the watch) which has been worn but presents well.
Now some wrist shots, so you can see this gem sparkling in the wild!
Price: $3500 U.S. for the watch, buckle, and darker strap, through PayPal Goods and Services (I will eat the fees) for known members with references, otherwise PayPal FF, and I will cover fully insured shipping anywhere in the US as well.
Returns: Only if grossly misrepresented.
A VERY long post with an insane amount of pictures, I know, but as you can tell I am passionate about this watch so I felt she deserved this level of attention to detail, and I hope to find her a great home!
I have many great references and feedback here on the forum as well as years of perfect feedback on eBay. I am very picky (I think this crazy post speaks to that!!!) and I bring the level of care I'd expect when purchasing to the table as a seller.
Thanks to the members, and thanks to OF for the space!
And why did it take so long to find? Well, people hold on to them, but then the ones that do come up have either been over polished and so many, almost all that I found, have had the dials redone. I finally found this original beauty - I don't like to over sell, but to my eye and to my watchmaker's eye, it's basically untouched. So I jumped on it - and I have been in love ever since. I even hunted down an original, period buckle to complete this...
So now why I am selling it? Why I am doing this to myself knowing letting it go will haunt my dreams for the rest of my days??? Because I've made a strict rule: one watch in, one watch out. I wasn't good at following it in 2019... I am trying to be better in 2020. And so the sickness goes - I have my eye on another piece, so I am trying, hard as it may be, to follow my own rule.
Okay, that's more than enough of my crying, on to pics and details!
The case: YES, can we talk about that case??? 18K solid rose gold, and oversized/jumbo at 37mm (with 18mm lugs) which is amazing considering this is an early 1960s piece. The size is incredible, perfect on my 6.5 inch wrist for a bit of presence while still retaining the vintage appear, and great for larger wrists that usually aren't able to wear vintage dress watches at 33/34mm. And just an awesome design! Those lugs - those shark fin lugs - let's have a closer look:
Again, I don't like to over sell and I think too often people use the term "never polished" which, for an almost 60 year old watch, is impossible to guarantee. So I will just say that for an 18K watch the case is as crisp as I've ever seen!
Even in macro it's hard to see any wear, save for the faintest of scratches. She has clearly been babied. The hallmarks are present and crisp as well, and it retains its original crown, which so many seem to have been replaced over the years:
The dial: Pure and elegant beauty! Again, all original. All crisp. And as clean as I ever saw on my 2 year hunt! As a VERY picky collector myself, I will note there are little tiny marks here and there that are even hard to see in macro. They require the right angle and right light, and my OCD eyes! But I do see small speckles/age wear here and there, as to be expected on a nearly white dialed watch of this age. (Hard to photograph such a light dial - please excuse my shadow!)
Crystal: Very hard to see, even in macro, but there are scratches. With the light dial, you can see them in very direct sunlight. I opted not to replace the crystal during service because, although with these you can't say for sure, we believed, given the close to untouched condition, it's the original crystal so I opted to give her a light Polywatch and leave all original.
Movement: I immediately took this watch to my watchmaker, Shant's Watch Repair in Pasadena, and had it fully serviced. That was 6 months ago, so it's running like new, winding and setting perfectly and keeping fantastic time. And there is still 6 months warranty left on his work. My watchmaker was really impressed, and noted he thought the movement had not been touched before. Or if it had, very minimally. Said it was the cleanest cal. 89 he had ever seen. Again, his words, but I think the pictures back that up (these were taken right before the service.) Serial numbers partially covered, but are fully intact, and from my research dates this piece to around 1962.
Buckle/strap: Another star of the show here is this period correct buckle. This don't come up often. I found one through a trusted member here, that was in rough shape so I had it replated in rose gold (which is slightly newer looking, of course, but looks fantastic!) Pic of the buckle and then macro shots of the insides before the replating, where you can see, although faint, the original markings:
Watch will come on the darker 18mm Hadley Roma leather strap pictured here (not the lighter one on the watch) which has been worn but presents well.
Now some wrist shots, so you can see this gem sparkling in the wild!
Price: $3500 U.S. for the watch, buckle, and darker strap, through PayPal Goods and Services (I will eat the fees) for known members with references, otherwise PayPal FF, and I will cover fully insured shipping anywhere in the US as well.
Returns: Only if grossly misrepresented.
A VERY long post with an insane amount of pictures, I know, but as you can tell I am passionate about this watch so I felt she deserved this level of attention to detail, and I hope to find her a great home!
I have many great references and feedback here on the forum as well as years of perfect feedback on eBay. I am very picky (I think this crazy post speaks to that!!!) and I bring the level of care I'd expect when purchasing to the table as a seller.
Thanks to the members, and thanks to OF for the space!
Edited:
