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IWC cal. 88 Oversized 18k Yellow Gold Dresswatch, 1950 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

IWC cal. 88 Oversized 18k Yellow Gold Dresswatch, 1950

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
IWC (maker)
Date
1950
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k yellow gold
Dimensions
Case 37 mm
Stock no.
W-3922
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-3922)
Catalogue title (original)
IWC cal. 88 Oversized 18k Yellow Gold Dresswatch (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-3922), this is a wristwatch by IWC, made in Switzerland, dated 1950. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k yellow gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 37 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Bulang & Sons

Over the years, IWC became famous for making watches that were as much about engineering as they were about looks. From their legendary Pilot’s Watches to the Portugieser, Ingenieur and Aquatimer, there’s always been a strong sense of purpose behind an IWC. And then there is this one. A wonderfully oversized 37 mm dress watch, which sounds perfectly normal today but was a pretty serious piece of wrist real estate back in the day. We absolutely love the flat case and those beautifully sculpted lugs — simple, elegant and just a little bit quirky. Exactly the sort of detail that makes an old watch so much fun. The silver dial is wonderfully clean, with applied Arabic numerals, boat-shaped hour markers and delicate gold hands. There’s a lovely little running-seconds sub-dial down at six, surrounded by the classic dotted minute track and fine IWC Schaffhausen lettering. Inside sits the legendary IWC hand-wound Calibre 88, recently fully serviced by our watchmaker and ready for many more years of ticking away. We’ve paired it with a Bulang & Sons leather strap and buckle, because, well look at it .. A proper vintage IWC with great proportions, a beautifully understated dial and just enough quirkiness to keep things interesting. We have a soft spot for oversized vintage dress watches, and this one ticks all the boxes. Ready to give it a new home? Specifications: IWC Oversized Dresswatch 37 mm yellow 18kt gold case with snap back case back and sculpted lugs Silver dial , no lume applied markers , small sub seconds Case serial 126xxxx dating to the 1950’s Bulang and sons leather strap and buckle Caliber 88 hand wound movement Fully serviced by our watchmaker

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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