
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
IWC Stepped-Case Rectangular Dress Watch 18K WG 'Cal. 87' W/ Breguet Numerals & Hands, 1930s
- Maker / attribution
- IWC (maker)
- Date
- 1930s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- IWCCAL87
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (IWCCAL87)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1930s IWC Stepped-Case Rectangular Dress Watch 18K WG 'Cal. 87' W/ Breguet Numerals & Hands (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number IWCCAL87), this is a wristwatch by IWC, made in Switzerland, dated 1930s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) 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
Founded more than 150 years ago—by an American man named Florentine Ariosto Jones—the International Watch Company has grown to become one of the most recognizable Swiss watch brands on the planet. While they're especially famous for their "post-war" in-house movements—manual and automatic mechanical masterpieces made after WWII, which are long-time favorites among the watch community and IWC enthusiasts alike—they have some incredible pre-WWII pieces as well. This one from the 1930s is a prime example of this – and of why IWC holds the legacy it does. Featuring a gorgeous rectangular stepped-case design in 18k white gold with fantastic Breguet numerals and hands, it's one of those pieces you just want to stare at. And it looks —and wears—even better on the wrist. It's the perfect size for practically any wrist, in that of-the-moment Tank-style shape, and is as timeless as a nearly-century-old watch can possibly be. SPECS Stock # IWCCAL87 Brand IWC Style Stepped-Case Rectangular Dress Watch Model Cal. 87 Serial 94XXXX Size Men's Material 18K White Gold Dial Silver W/ Breguet Numerals Millimeters 24 X 48.5 Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The excellent 18K white gold stepped rectangular case has been lightly polished in the past and shows honest signs of gentle use while retaining strong overall dimensions and crisp hallmarks. The case retains its original unsigned crown. The hinged case back shows light signs of honest wear and features the factory engraved serial number as well as the inscription "Reichsbrucke 1934-1935". The watch comes supplied on a two-piece handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The charming and beautifully aged silver dial exhibits some wear and patina expected for its age throughout, most notably on the right side of the dial. The original Breguet numerals are in excellent condition, as are the Breguet hands. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The wristwatch overtook the pocket watch. Military use in the First World War, aviation, water-resistant cases (1926), automatic winding (1923–31), rectangular Art Deco designs and early chronographs and calendars defined the period.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
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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