100% Authentic watches
Safe delivery or pick-up
Warranty & easy returns
Vintage IWC
38 results
Sort by
- 100% Authentic watches
- Safe delivery or pick-up
- Warranty and easy returns
- 100% Authentic watches
- Safe delivery or pick-up
- Warranty and easy returns
IWC Yacht Club
IWC Blue dial *Yacht Club* REF. 1827 with original bracelet
1827Available
€ 2.199
DE
- 100% Authentic watches
- Safe delivery or pick-up
- Warranty and easy returns
Vintage IWC: a collectors read on Schaffhausens classics
International Watch Company, born in Schaffhausen, long blended purposeful engineering with quiet elegance. In vintage form that balance feels distilled: pilot watches built for aviation and military duty, discreet dress pieces, and dive or sport references conceived as tools first, style second. The audience was never narrow, which is why older IWC speaks as easily to design-led collectors as to professionals needing a reliable wristwatch. Wearability is key measured proportions, superb legibility, and a seriousness of purpose without theatrics.
What sets many pieces apart is movement pedigree. Manual-wind calibres such as 83, 89, and 98, and automatics using the Pellaton winding system, underpin IWCs reputation for honest, durable horology. Dials stay functional 2 black with Arabic numerals on pilots, silver sunburst with baton markers on dress models, with Roman numerals in Portofino and Da Vinci lines. Vintage cases skew slimmer with plexiglass crystals; contemporary versions tend larger, use sapphire, and introduce titanium and ceramic. Both camps remain deeply legible and practical the brands through line.
Collectible models to know
- R.A.F. Mark XI pilot, hacking seconds and anti-magnetic build; coveted and well-documented.
- Ingenieur SL with integrated bracelet, technical spirit and anti-magnetic mission; a design-era favorite.
- Ocean 2000 titanium diver, internal bezel architecture and Cold War tool-watch credibility.
- Early Portugieser references, pocket-watch DNA on the wrist, airy Arabic numerals.
- Da Vinci perpetual calendar, accessible high complication that made calendars a signature.
Materials, movements and design cues
- Stainless steel and gold dominate; later tool models add titanium and ceramic.
- Plexiglass on many mid-century watches; later sapphire improves durability and scratch resistance.
- Dial language from luminous pilot layouts to sober silver dress dials; Romans on select classics.
- Manual 83/89/98, automatics with Pellaton, plus Valjoux-based chronographs in sports pieces.
- Leather and alligator straps, Milanese on some classics, integrated bracelets on Ingenieur; NATOs on military.
Prices and what affects them
- Mid-century steel dress pieces with manual movements often run about €1.500 up to €2.500 in steel.
- R.A.F. Mark XI examples can easily reach €7.500+ with clear provenance and correct parts.
- Ingenieur SL and Ocean 2000 show strong interest, typically €7.000 or more, by condition and completeness.
- Portugieser and Da Vinci perpetual calendars can climb well into five figures when complete with papers.
- Original condition, unpolished cases, even patina or tropical dials, and documented servicing command premiums.
How vintage compares to current IWC
Many vintage references are discontinued, yet the lineages live on: Mark series, Big Pilot, Portugieser, Portofino, and Aquatimer. Vintage feels quieter on the wrist, with compact proportions and restrained signatures. Modern IWC adds water resistance, anti-magnetic tech, ceramic or titanium cases, and conveniences like dates and power-reserve indicators. If you want the purest brief and human-scale wear, vintage delivers; if you prefer contemporary robustness and materials, the current catalog answers. That spectrum from Fliegeruhr roots to elegant complications keeps Vintage IWC compelling for collectors.