Vintage 1952 IWC Mark XI RAF Military Issued CAL 89

For sale we have a 1952 International Watch Company Mark XI in very good condition. It comes from the collection of a prominent military watch collector in the UK. The IWC is an iconic piece and this is a fine and clean example.

The watch runs and keeps time as it should. It’s service history is largely unknown but it did return to IWC in 2003 for a full service. It has an IWC service card dated 02.04.2003 with the serial number 986/52

The case has been polished in its lifetime but is in very good condition. The dial is the rare Hooked Seven and it is in very good condition. It has fixed 18mm bars and an unmarked civilian back.

Price is £4250 and the watch is located in the UK. Free shipping in the UK and rest of world shipping available on request.

Payment via PayPal FF or equivalent.

References:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/jaegodylqn-is-a-fantastic-seller.139873/#post-1903156

https://omegaforums.net/threads/great-transaction-with-jaegodylan.140010/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/jaegodylan-a-great-seller.132467/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/smooth-purchase-from-jaegodylan.132466/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/jaegodylan-is-a-great-seller.131999/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/jaegodylan-great-seller.130820/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/jaegodylan-is-a-great-seller.130343/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/good-experience-with-jaegodylan.128669/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/great-transaction-with-jaegodylan.128575/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/jaegodylan-is-a-solid-guy.123951/

Had a few questions about the watch and figured some may be interested in it’s history.

The case size is 36mm.





There are many great resources for information on the Mark XI

This from Worn and Wound is a good summary.

From the Gentleman’s Journal

“To state it simply, the Mark 11 from IWC is one of the most important watches in history. Designed initially to withstand the harsh environment of a military airplane, the original Mark 11 shielded its mechanism from the strong magnetic fields of the flying machines.

“The wrist watch mark 11 is a highly accurate timepiece suitable for astro-navigation purposes,” relayed the Ministry of Defence when the timepiece was first strapped onto wrists in 1948. Used by the RAF to calculate the exact latitude and longitude of its aircraft, each of these watches boasted dials made from iron, and were considerably thicker than those of regulation wristwatches.

They also featured dust cover wraps to wholly enclose the mechanisms, and were considered so valuable by the military that the cases, dials and mechanisms were marked with the institution’s iconic arrow-head pheon symbol.

And it doesn’t end there. The IWC Mark 11 watches were so rigorously relied on by the military that they were returned annually to the manufacturer for servicing and testing — a level of care not afforded to any other military watch in history.“

A great detailed piece is available as PDF. Greg Steer’s Man is Not Lost

Some photos of the movement and caseback inside as requested. Serial number is 1245285.

Here’s the paperwork from the IWC spa visit. Price drop!