
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
IWC Calatrava 18K YG "Cal. 89", 1950s
- Maker / attribution
- IWC (maker)
- Date
- 1950s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- IWCCAL89-6
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (IWCCAL89-6)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1950s IWC Calatrava 18K YG "Cal. 89" (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number IWCCAL89-6), this is a wristwatch by IWC, made in Switzerland, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. 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 — Craft & Tailored
IWC’s Caliber 89 was developed in 1946 after the previous IWC factory was destroyed during a World War II bombing. The Caliber 89 movement became a benchmark of watchmaking standards for the era and recreated the IWC brand as a whole. Although the Cal. 89 is relatively simple it was at the forefront of watchmaking technology for its time, using only the most advanced parts and materials. This is why the British military issued their pilots the IWC Mark XI with the Cal. 89 movement for over 30 years. This IWC Calatrava in 18K yellow gold is truly incredible, with a beautiful two-tone dial and thick broad lugs that extend the overall case size of the watch. This watch makes for either a highly reliable daily wearer or an occasion-only dress piece, either way, it was designed to last. SPECS Stock # IWCCAL89-6 Brand IWC Style Calatrava-Style Dress Watch Model Cal. 89 Serial 12XXXXX Size Men's Material 18K Yellow Gold Dial Gold Millimeters 35 Bracelet 2pc Brown Alligator Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The excellent 18K yellow gold case shows honest signs of gentle use while retaining strong overall dimensions and crisp hallmarks, the case also appears to have been only minimally polished in the past. The case retains its original IWC fish logo crown. The watch comes supplied on a 2pc brown alligator strap. DIAL & HANDS The charming and beautifully aged two-tone champagne dial offers both rarity and a charming vintage aesthetic. The dial exhibits some consistent aging throughout with no notable damage present. The original yellow gold dauphine hands are in excellent condition. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.
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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