Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Iwc Compass watch "olive green " ref Iw5310, 1980s
- Maker / attribution
- IWC (maker)
- Date
- 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 39 mm
- Stock no.
- w-2954
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (w-2954)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Iwc Compass watch "olive green " ref Iw5310 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number w-2954), this is a wristwatch by IWC, made in Switzerland, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 39 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
Don’t get lost while telling the time, folks! Presenting an unusual and cool watch from IWC-Porsche Design. Founded in 1972 by Prof. Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche—the grandson of Porsche’s founder and the creative force behind the iconic Porsche 911—Porsche Design Studio has a legacy of innovation. This watch was conceived from Butzi's passion for hunting and exploration, designed to be inconspicuous and practical for navigation in an era before publicly available GPS technology. The absolute showstopper for us is the dial—a soft green/khaki color with lovely yellow patina tritium markers and white text featuring a cross-hair design. Porsche/IWC really hit this one out of the park! The lightweight 39mm green PVD-coated aluminum case is in fantastic condition, showing only the smallest marks. Notably, it features buttons at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions that flip open the case to reveal a compass and a mirror, serving dual purposes for navigation and signaling. Plus, the anti-magnetic movement ensures the compass remains accurate. The watch comes on the photographed Nautical strap, and the movement has been fully checked and regulated by our watchmaker. Specifications: - IWC / Porsche design Reference 3510 - 38mm aluminium “olive green” PVD-coated case - Serial 228xxxx dates to 1980s - Green dial signed IWC and Porsche Design - Concealed compass and mirror under the dial - Automatic movement - Nautic rubber strap - Fully checked and regulated by our watchmaker
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
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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