What isn't widely known here is that there is a small community of really expert collectors in the Schaffhausen area. They generally don't post on watch forums, aren't IWC employees, but these guys have been collecting IWC watches for years, often decades, and often their families did before them.
But you first have to get there, and flying via SWISS is part of the experience:
and then landing in Zurich is also nice. This time, the trees still had color and for some reason the fields were green:
En route I also looked in at the new Zurich boutique: It's not as large as the Flagship stores, but still represents IWC well. The new Boutique is company-owned, unlike the prior Zurich one which will be closing early next year. (By the way, the new one at the Zurich airport is actually Türler-owned).
It was a private gathering, so there are no people-pictures. But the watches, even if the image got rotated, speak for themselves: There's all sorts of interesting watches lying around if you look closely. Plus a tin of snuff (go figure).
Now --what really struck me were three pocket watches, all from the late-1970s. Two I had never seen before in person: The first, on the left, is a so-called Varion, which converts from a Lepine style to a Savonette. You may have read the story about how only two were made 100 years ago and sold in Sicily, and this is a recreation of that rare model.
The middle one, which especially struck me, is a Jacquemart. It is a quarter[hour repeater where the arms move to "strike" the bell on the dial. Wikipedia defines a Jacquemart as an "automaton, an animated, mechanised figure of a person, usually made from wood or metal, which strikes the hours on a bell with a hammer. Jacquemarts are usually part of clocks or clocktowers, and are often near or at the top of the construction. The figurine is also known as Jack of the Clock or Jack o'Clock."
Wow! I asked Kurt Klaus later about this one, and he told me that the base movement was an IWC calibre 95 but then the repeater-automaton was by Dubois-Depraz, a specialist watch movement producer, and they then were assembled by Kelek (another company since acquired by Breitling). But regardless --what a pocket watch.
The one on the right was no slouch either. It has a thermometer as a complication.
288 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 14, 2012Western,
Slovakia
Wow, what a gathering. By coincidence I was reading today that part of the IWV ET book where I saw a picture of the first Fliegeruhr. Is it that one on the table? That watch caught my eye as the very first. It is very very beautiful and some time already is the Saint Exupery on my future wish list :o)
1,870 Discussions and CommentsMember since Oct. 28, 2002
These are indeed great pocketwatches, very rare. I too was lucky to hold two of these three in my hands and saw the Jacquemart working.( not at this meeting ). Good that these pics got on the forum I think these doesn't come often out of the safe.
5,029 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 9, 2006
Spectacular. It must have been a thrill to see these pieces of IWC history in one place. Enjoy your stay in Schaffhausen. SIHH is coming soon as you are traveling in preparation for it, I suspect.
MARIAN42 Wrote:Wow, what a gathering. By coincidence I was reading today that part of the IWV ET book where I saw a picture of the first Fliegeruhr. Is it that one on the table? That watch caught my eye as the very first. It is very very beautiful and some time already is the Saint Exupery on my future wish list :o)
"Unfortunately" that watch was "only" a modern Vintage Collection Pilot's Watch.
2,247 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 2, 2001
Amazing pocket watches. I am surprised what appear to be beautiful vintage pieces are as recent as the 1970's. Just wonderful rarely seen items. Thanks for posting the pictures!
But you first have to get there, and flying via SWISS is part of the experience:
and then landing in Zurich is also nice. This time, the trees still had color and for some reason the fields were green:
En route I also looked in at the new Zurich boutique:
It's not as large as the Flagship stores, but still represents IWC well. The new Boutique is company-owned, unlike the prior Zurich one which will be closing early next year. (By the way, the new one at the Zurich airport is actually Türler-owned).
It was a private gathering, so there are no people-pictures. But the watches, even if the image got rotated, speak for themselves:
There's all sorts of interesting watches lying around if you look closely. Plus a tin of snuff (go figure).
Now --what really struck me were three pocket watches, all from the late-1970s. Two I had never seen before in person:
The first, on the left, is a so-called Varion, which converts from a Lepine style to a Savonette. You may have read the story about how only two were made 100 years ago and sold in Sicily, and this is a recreation of that rare model.
The middle one, which especially struck me, is a Jacquemart. It is a quarter[hour repeater where the arms move to "strike" the bell on the dial. Wikipedia defines a Jacquemart as an "automaton, an animated, mechanised figure of a person, usually made from wood or metal, which strikes the hours on a bell with a hammer. Jacquemarts are usually part of clocks or clocktowers, and are often near or at the top of the construction. The figurine is also known as Jack of the Clock or Jack o'Clock."
Wow! I asked Kurt Klaus later about this one, and he told me that the base movement was an IWC calibre 95 but then the repeater-automaton was by Dubois-Depraz, a specialist watch movement producer, and they then were assembled by Kelek (another company since acquired by Breitling). But regardless --what a pocket watch.
The one on the right was no slouch either. It has a thermometer as a complication.
A great get-together! Thanks guys.
Regards, Michael
mfriedberg@iwcforum.com
tonny.berteloot@pandora.be
Also very nice to see you had a great time there, any clues of what is coming up next January please?
Best regards
Argiris
Bill
Vincent Fong
Last edited: 17 January, 2013 - 10:02
"Unfortunately" that watch was "only" a modern Vintage Collection Pilot's Watch.
Regards, Michael
mfriedberg@iwcforum.com
Dick L.
whichwatch at roadrunner dot com