The IWC Cal. 89 is the quintessential vintage dress watch. Minimal in its design and high quality, this is the dress watch that in my opinion, presents the best value.
This watch is housed in a classic 36mm rose gold case with beautifully elegant ‘bombe’ lugs and features a snap down caseback. The silver brushed dial is very simple and elegant, with applied pointed index markers and a dotted minute track. It has matching gold stick hands and of course the classic International Watch Co script logo which many people have come to love.
Beating inside this watch is the immensely high-quality Cal. 89 movement. It is an in-house movement produced by IWC that was used most famously on the military RAF Mk 11 models. As it was deemed good enough to be used by military pilots, you can imagine the quality and timekeeping this movement is capable of. The Cal. 89 is regarded as one of the greatest movements of the era.
If you are looking for an understated, elegant dress watch, I would certainly suggest this IWC Cal. 89 as a contender. This example in particular, is remarkably preserved, especially with its original dial as most examples have been refinished.
While there is competition from the likes of Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, the price point of this IWC and its similar aesthetics to the aforementioned brands makes it a sure winner.
