Wristwatches · Wristwatch
IWC Ingenieur SL Jumbo Steel Ref 1832, 1976
- Maker / attribution
- IWC (maker)
- Date
- 1976
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- steel
- Dimensions
- Case 40 mm
- Stock no.
- W-2564
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2564)
- Catalogue title (original)
- IWC Ingenieur SL Jumbo Steel Ref 1832 (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-2564), this is a wristwatch by IWC, made in Switzerland, dated 1976. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: steel. Recorded dimensions: Case 40 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
The Ingenieur SL reference 1832 was launched in 1976 and was made until 1983. Designed byGerald Genta, this watch is one of his designs that seems to still be a little under the radar. Like other watches of the era, the reference 1832 is known as the Jumbo and is arguably the chunkiest of all the Genta-penned watches of that era, thanks to the anti-magnetic nature of the timepiece. The 40mm steel case is in excellent condtion. We love these thick cases, a little bigger due to the faraday cage within. The flat bezel has five rivets and is clean and crisp. The dial has a basket-weave, waffle look that is actually integral to the watch’s anti-magnetic properties. We believe that this is a later dial as it is signed SWISS only. The hands are pencil form and one of our favourite features! The integrated bracelet is in very good condition and will fit a wrist size up to 18.5cm. The IWC calibre 8541ES automatic movement has been fully checked and regulated by our watchmaker. With these integrated bracelet sports watches being very popular right now, we are sure this will be very popular. And this one is surely a rare one- IWC states that they made 598 pieces.. Get in touch and let’s talk more about this cool Genta-designed iconic IWC! Specifications: - Ingenieur SL Reference 1832 - Serial 222xxx dating to 1976 - 40mm steel case - Black ‘waffle’ dial - Pencil Hands - Integrated steel bracelet - IWC calibre 8541ES automatic movement - Fully checked by our watchmaker - Includes a handmade leather watch pouch
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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