IWC Schaffhausen Yellow Gold 34 mm, late 1950s

Identity IWC Schaffhausen Yellow Gold 34 mm, late 1950s. Manual-winding movement. 18-carat yellow gold case, 34 mm, straight lugs, yellow gold crown. Silver dial with applied faceted gold indexes and applied double baton at 12, dotted minute track, gold dauphine hands. Plexiglas crystal. Leather strap and unmarked pin buckle. Horological context International Watch Company was founded in Schaffhausen in 1868 by Florentine Ariosto Jones, an American watchmaker. The choice of this Rhine-side city was meant to combine American industrial precision with European watchmaking craft. The maison distinguishes itself through a true manufacture practice, designing and producing its own movements. In the 1950s, IWC produced its flagship generation of manual-winding calibres — most notably the Calibre 89, prized for its flat caseback that allowed mechanisms to fit into slim cases. The yellow gold dress watches of the period embraced the sobriety typical of Schaffhausen: clean dials, applied faceted indexes, dauphine hands, and the cursive International Watch Co. Schaffhausen signature that punctuated the visual identity of the decade. Character Silver dial with light, even patina, applied faceted gold indexes and applied double baton at 12. International Watch Co. Schaffhausen signature in cursive script. Watch serviced. Patina and natural wear from age. Delivered with a Contre-Temps box and a Contre-Temps one-year warranty.