As we all know from IWC's promotional literature about its flight watches, IWC has been a pioneer in the combattinfg magnetic influences on watch movements. Several different approaches have been used, including soft-iron "Faraday" cages, escapements out of special metals, etc.
Contrary to popular belief the Mark XI wasn't IWC's first anti-magnetic or amagnetic wristwatch. Nor was the giant B-Uhr from 1940. Before them was a line of "anti-magnet" watches, of which this example is from 1938.
If anyone knows of any earlier IWC wristwatches that were anti- or amagnetic, feel free to post the information here.
236 Discussions and CommentsMember since Sept. 26, 2003
I have a 1936 Cal 83...
Hi Michael, Interesting topic! Likewise, I have a Cal 83 from 1936 that is marked 'anti-magnet.'. Mine is in a screw-back case as well and I've thought of it as IWC's attempt to make a watch that was less sensitive to environmental conditions. I'm guessing this was roughly contemporaneous with the introduction of the 'oyster' case elsewhere... I'd be curious to know what IWC did to the Cal 83 movement to make it 'anti-magnet.' and if those changes ended up being incorporated into later production models, as happened with shock protection a few years later. Interestingly enough, I've also seen Cal 83's marked with both 'anti-magnet.' and 'inca' (shock protection) but I have yet to add one of those to my collection! Best regards, Michael
282 Discussions and CommentsMember since May 12, 2001
Antimagnetic watches
As IWC catalogues witness, there was a well established and well advertised range of antimagnetic watches in the 2nd half of the thirties. Mainly, but not exclusively sports and professionial watches (like the Hermit range) were equipped with this type of movement. Most of the were driven by the calibre 83, but I've seen also c.87 and others. Best known among collectors is of course the early aviators' watch (commonly dubbed "Mark IX").
The amagnatic character was not achieved by a shielding mechanism as in the later Mark XI and the Ingenieurs, but rather by making the movement itself less vulnerable to electromagnetic fields, an approach which IWC later brought to perfection in the Ocean 2000 Bund and in the Ingenieur 500'000 A/M. With regard to the Aviators' watch the english version of a contemporanean IWC brochure states that "the movement is not affected at all by electro-magnetic influence, thanks to Beryllium balance and hairspring" (see http://www.iwc.ch/member/forum/specials_detail-en.asp?ID=61).
When the earliest antimagnetic watch was produced by IWC, I don't know. 1936 seems just to be the terminus ante quem.
Any additionial information is of course most welcome.
236 Discussions and CommentsMember since Sept. 26, 2003
Antimagnetic & Hermet watches
Hello Marco, Many thanks for the information! It's interesting to me that the 'Anti-magnet.' Cal 83 movements were not produced in a special series (there aren't unique serial numbers) and looking at the movement I can't detect anything different from a standard Cal 83... I guess a follow up question involves the 'Hermet' cases... Were they in fact different than the other screw back cases produced and what's the earliest 'Hermet' case anyone has seen? Best, Michael
It's my understanding that IWC watches from the 1930s, at least some Cal. 83s and 87s, used special metals for their balances. Prior to then, bimetallic compensation balances had both brass and iron rings to compensate for temperature (since there were two metals with different sensivtivity) but they were very sensitive to magnetism.
In the 1930s, monometalic balances were introduced and temperature was compensated by a special nickel alloy for balance spring (a special nickel alloy). This allowed the watches to be "antimagnetric" although by todays's standards they really weren't highly antimagnetic. Some other companies even used gold for escapement parts (because it is antimagnetic) and as you indicated some of the Porsche Deisgn models used berylium. But to my knowledge the original IWC "anti-magnets" really just had monometallic balances, although I don't know offhand the exact composition of the metals used.
236 Discussions and CommentsMember since Sept. 26, 2003
Anti-magnetic watches from the 1930s
Hi Michael, Thanks for the clarification! As a follow up question I would ask if you have any information as to what went into a watch designated as 'Hermet' and whether the screw back models are different or just earlier incarnations? And my question as to when the earliest 'Hermet' model was produced still stands... Best, Michael
54 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 5, 2003
The earliest IWC antimagnetic watch?
Good morning It is interesting to read these post regarding antimagnetic watches. I can put my hand on a very nice of these +- 40's watch but I do not know to much about it .Can I wear a 60year old watch quite often or is it something that you look and cherrish but never wear?It is small 33m/m 18 k gold manual wind Thank you fo advice.
236 Discussions and CommentsMember since Sept. 26, 2003
wearing
Hello Audiman,
I wear my Cal 83 watches from the 30's and 40's all the time. It's a high quality, fully jeweled movement, and as long as it's cleaned and adjusted properly it should run accurately for many many more years! The only thing to keep in mind is that watches from this period are not especially water resistant so be careful when you're washing your hands, etc! By the way, 33mm is not considered small for watches from this period (especially if you mean 33mm without the crown)-the 'classic' men's Calatrava case was usually 30 or 31 mm!
There's been several prior discussions regarding these models, which easily can be found by using the keyword "hermet" when doing an archives search.
I believe its fair to say that Hermet most likely was the tradename of a case maker that made a kind of hermetical closed cases, or possibly the name for a specific case design. II have seen some cases from the mid to late 1930s so marked, but don't have precise data.
715 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 22, 2001
More importantly...>>
...try not to drop it or knock it against something when worn on the wrist. Most watches from the early 1940s had no shock protection on the balance jewels. In particular, a shock from the side risks breaking the balance pivots.
Contrary to popular belief the Mark XI wasn't IWC's first anti-magnetic or amagnetic wristwatch. Nor was the giant B-Uhr from 1940. Before them was a line of "anti-magnet" watches, of which this example is from 1938.
If anyone knows of any earlier IWC wristwatches that were anti- or amagnetic, feel free to post the information here.
Regards,
Michael
Regards, Michael
mfriedberg@iwcforum.com
Last edited: 5 April, 2012 - 19:53
Hi Michael,
Interesting topic! Likewise, I have a Cal 83 from 1936 that is marked 'anti-magnet.'. Mine is in a screw-back case as well and I've thought of it as IWC's attempt to make a watch that was less sensitive to environmental conditions. I'm guessing this was roughly contemporaneous with the introduction of the 'oyster' case elsewhere... I'd be curious to know what IWC did to the Cal 83 movement to make it 'anti-magnet.' and if those changes ended up being incorporated into later production models, as happened with shock protection a few years later. Interestingly enough, I've also seen Cal 83's marked with both 'anti-magnet.' and 'inca' (shock protection) but I have yet to add one of those to my collection!
Best regards,
Michael
As IWC catalogues witness, there was a well established and well advertised range of antimagnetic watches in the 2nd half of the thirties. Mainly, but not exclusively sports and professionial watches (like the Hermit range) were equipped with this type of movement. Most of the were driven by the calibre 83, but I've seen also c.87 and others. Best known among collectors is of course the early aviators' watch (commonly dubbed "Mark IX").
The amagnatic character was not achieved by a shielding mechanism as in the later Mark XI and the Ingenieurs, but rather by making the movement itself less vulnerable to electromagnetic fields, an approach which IWC later brought to perfection in the Ocean 2000 Bund and in the Ingenieur 500'000 A/M. With regard to the Aviators' watch the english version of a contemporanean IWC brochure states that "the movement is not affected at all by electro-magnetic influence, thanks to Beryllium balance and hairspring" (see http://www.iwc.ch/member/forum/specials_detail-en.asp?ID=61).
When the earliest antimagnetic watch was produced by IWC, I don't know. 1936 seems just to be the terminus ante quem.
Any additionial information is of course most welcome.
Marco
Last edited: 12 February, 2011 - 08:37
Hello Marco,
Many thanks for the information! It's interesting to me that the 'Anti-magnet.' Cal 83 movements were not produced in a special series (there aren't unique serial numbers) and looking at the movement I can't detect anything different from a standard Cal 83... I guess a follow up question involves the 'Hermet' cases... Were they in fact different than the other screw back cases produced and what's the earliest 'Hermet' case anyone has seen?
Best,
Michael
Hi Marco (and Michael),
It's my understanding that IWC watches from the 1930s, at least some Cal. 83s and 87s, used special metals for their balances. Prior to then, bimetallic compensation balances had both brass and iron rings to compensate for temperature (since there were two metals with different sensivtivity) but they were very sensitive to magnetism.
In the 1930s, monometalic balances were introduced and temperature was compensated by a special nickel alloy for balance spring (a special nickel alloy). This allowed the watches to be "antimagnetric" although by todays's standards they really weren't highly antimagnetic. Some other companies even used gold for escapement parts (because it is antimagnetic) and as you indicated some of the Porsche Deisgn models used berylium. But to my knowledge the original IWC "anti-magnets" really just had monometallic balances, although I don't know offhand the exact composition of the metals used.
Regards,
Michael
Regards, Michael
mfriedberg@iwcforum.com
Last edited: 5 April, 2012 - 19:53
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the clarification! As a follow up question I would ask if you have any information as to what went into a watch designated as 'Hermet' and whether the screw back models are different or just earlier incarnations? And my question as to when the earliest 'Hermet' model was produced still stands...
Best,
Michael
Good morning
It is interesting to read these post regarding antimagnetic watches. I can put my hand on a very nice of these +- 40's watch but I do not know to much
about it .Can I wear a 60year old watch quite often or is it something that you look and cherrish but never wear?It is small 33m/m 18 k gold manual wind
Thank you fo advice.
Hello Audiman,
I wear my Cal 83 watches from the 30's and 40's all the time. It's a high quality, fully jeweled movement, and as long as it's cleaned and adjusted properly it should run accurately for many many more years! The only thing to keep in mind is that watches from this period are not especially water resistant so be careful when you're washing your hands, etc! By the way, 33mm is not considered small for watches from this period (especially if you mean 33mm without the crown)-the 'classic' men's Calatrava case was usually 30 or 31 mm!
Best,
Michael
There's been several prior discussions regarding these models, which easily can be found by using the keyword "hermet" when doing an archives search.
I believe its fair to say that Hermet most likely was the tradename of a case maker that made a kind of hermetical closed cases, or possibly the name for a specific case design. II have seen some cases from the mid to late 1930s so marked, but don't have precise data.
Regards,
Michael
Regards, Michael
mfriedberg@iwcforum.com
Last edited: 5 April, 2012 - 19:53
...try not to drop it or knock it against something when worn on the wrist. Most watches from the early 1940s had no shock protection on the balance jewels. In particular, a shock from the side risks breaking the balance pivots.