Eventually succumbed to the charms of IWC. They also threw in a green rubber strap, but been too nervous to actually switch from the brown alligator in case I inadvertently scratch it. The mechanism is on show through a glass back and is mesmerising
18 Likes
Picked this up whilst in Shanghai. Hope it is genuine. It was the only one in the Swatch shop,and had arrived that morning.
18 Likes
That’s really elegant, works well with the leather
1 Like
Thanks, by default they sell this one with a black strap, but I think the brown works much better
That’s lovely. I had a green one of those, which I eventually sold. I really should have bought a silver dial / gold hands one like yours, which is a classic combination. The straps aren’t hard to change, so long as you get a good spring bar tool. The alligator straps do look good, but once you read up on how the alligators are killed, they seem less of a good idea. I’m surprised that so many watch companies continue to use them, especially IWC, which makes a big thing of its environmental credentials.
2 Likes
Thanks. Tbh, I’d never thought about where the alligator leather came from, guess I’d fondly imagined large alligator farms where they idly spent their days frolicking together till they eventually died of old age. Reality is often more shocking
1 Like
Indeed, mashing their brains with a metal rod isn’t exactly ideal. IWC are such a good watch brand, and here is an alligator free watch, though it did come on a calf leather strap. Metal is better when you are cooking.
10 Likes
Grand Seiko wanted 90quid to replace the battery. My local watch repair shop only wanted 35… So I was over the moon id managed to save myself a few quid.
Went to put the watch on this morning and noticed the bezel has 3 scratches/Dings in it caused by the jig my local watch repairer used to unscrew the caseback… So the watch is now off to Japen for a new bezel… I’ll never learn… Pay peanuts and more often than not, you’ll get monkeys…
18 Likes
You are not the only one, many of us have done similar
1 Like
Which is why my 22ct Longines dress watch goes back to base for a battery change, got caught exactly the same way.
Oh, nearly forgot, nice watch 
2 Likes
The missing section of the black ring (from 2-5 o’clock) happened too during a battery change. I was not trying to save money but time and went for the closest watch repair shop. I noticed the broken ring only after arriving home. I did nothing about it since the watch was already 22 years old and that part was not available anymore.
9 Likes
Why is (not “are”) IWC such a good watch brand? Swatch group straight movements in many at £5k and above? Big Pilot brand associations still going strong?
Elegant. Understated. Superbly well made. Lovely to look at and use.
Not all the movements are Swatch, AIUI.
IWC has no connection with Swatch.
No direct connection, but Swatch does own ETA which some of the lower end IWC use their movements.
Whatever, there’s nothing actually wrong with ETA movements. The whole must have an in house movement thing seems to be more about fashion, snobbery or both. Many expensive watches use bought in movements, as you of course know.
5 Likes
Some of the IWC Pilot watches have an ETA 7750 movement. Whilst there may be an element of “penny pitching”, it is reputable, having been used in watches by Panerai, Chopard and Breitling, and others.
1 Like
IWC make fantastic watches. I came very close to buying a Portugieser last summer. This fascination with watch movements started around the same time as social media… I wasn’t asked once back in the 90s what movement was in any of my swiss watches… Not to mention, ETA and Sellita make some of the most robust movements around…
4 Likes
The MK XII uses a Jaeger LeCoultre movement which some say has had issues. Mine is spot-on though.
G