Mens PRIMO 1903 IWC INTERNATIONAL WATCH Co SCHAFFHAUSEN

IWC

International Watch Company

1903

UNIQUE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF TIMEPIECE
VERY BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE WATCH 1903
VERY BEAUTIFUL MECHANICAL WORK

If you have been collecting watches for a while I think you’re going to appreciate the following timepiece. One could argue that the word “RARE” gets tossed around a bit too easily on eBay but I think this is one case where the moniker is well deserved. I am pleased to offer for sale this pristine 1903 timepiece with high-grade mechanism with FOUR SCREWED GOLD SETTINGS & SWAN NECK MICROMETER. Indeed, it was made by the venerable International Watch Company (IWC).

A Few Facts About IWC's History:

1868: How it all started

In 1868, an American by the name of Florentine Ariosto Jones made the brave decision to found a watch factory in Switzerland from where he planned to supply the USA with movements. Switzerland was a low-wage country back then and had a ready supply of skilled labour for the watchmaking industry (mainly manual work carried out by people working from their homes). In French-speaking Switzerland Jones met with fierce resistance because people feared for their jobs and the work they did at home.
In 1850 the town of Schaffhausen was in grave danger of missing the bus to the Industrial Age. It was at this stage that watch manufacturer and industrialist Johann Heinrich Moser stepped in and did the region a huge service. As a pioneer of "white coal", he built Schaffhausen's first hydroelectric plant and laid the cornerstone for future industrialization. He probably met F.A. Jones in Le Locle and showed a great interest in his plans. And so it was that the foundations were laid for the first and only watch manufacturers in north-eastern Switzerland: the INTERNATIONAL WATCH CO. in Schaffhausen.

1869: The eventful early years

"With the object of combining all the excellence of the American system of mechanism with the more skilful hand labor of the Swiss, we have established our Watch Factory at Schaffusen, Switzerland."
F.A. Jones rented the first factory premises in an industrial building owned by J.H. Moser in Rheinstrasse. Very soon he had to rent further rooms in the "Oberhaus", one of the oldest buildings in Schaffhausen. By 1874 plans were already being made for a new factory. A site was purchased from Moser's hydroelectric company directly adjacent to the banks of the Rhine, the "Baumgarten", as it was called. Schaffhausen architect G. Meyer won the order to design and build the factory and about a year later, in spring 1875, the construction work was completed. At that point 196 people were working in the 45-meter-long factory, which could accommodate up to 300 workplaces.The IWC story goes on.

1880: Beginning of the Rauschenbach era

Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel, Chief Executive Officer and a machine manufacturer from Schaffhausen, took over the INTERNATIONALE UHRENFABRIK on 17 February 1880. This change marked the beginning of the story of INTERNATIONAL WATCH CO., which would last almost one hundred years and four generations, a family-owned company that would be known under various names.
Only a year after the sale, Johannes Rauschenbach died. His son, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk, was 25 years old when he took over the UHRENFABRIK VON J. RAUSCHENBACH and ran it successfully until his own death on 2 March 1905.
Another significant role on the way to the company's lasting success was played by Urs Haenggi from Nunningen in the canton of Solothurn. He had got to know the watch business in French-speaking Switzerland and France; in 1883 he joined IWC and stayed with the company for 52 years. He got factory operations up and running smoothly and acquired new customers. He was also responsible for warding off the danger of the factory passing into other hands "in the interest of the noble Rauschenbach family".
Technician Johann Vogel from Wangen on the Aare in Solothurn likewise played an important role as technical director. He designed and developed IWC calibres until 1919.

1905: E.J.Homberger

After the death of J. Rauschenbach-Schenk in 1905, his wife, two daughters and their husbands, Ernst Jakob Homberger (director of G. Fischer AG in Schaffhausen) and Dr. Carl Gustav Jung (psychologist and psychiatrist), took over the watch factory as an open trading company by the name of the UHRENFABRIK VON J. RAUSCHENBACH'S ERBEN. E.J. Homberger was the only authorized signatory, Haenggi and Vogel were directors.
Following the death of his father-in-law, Ernst Jakob Homberger had a considerable influence on the Schaffhausen watchmaking company's affairs and guided it through one of the most turbulent epochs in Europe's history. Just before the world economic crisis, he took over as sole proprietor and renamed the company UHRENFABRIK VON ERNST HOMBERGER-RAUSCHENBACH, formerly INTERNATIONAL WATCH CO. His contribution was honoured in 1952, when he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of St. Gallen. He died in 1955, aged 85 years.
During the period just before and after the First World War, E.J. Homberger devoted himself to devising and setting up social institutions. He extended the living quarters for factory employees and established a fund for widows and orphans. In 1929, the name of the fund was changed to the J.Rauschenbach Foundation and in 1949 he founded the Watch Company Welfare Foundation.

1944: The mistaken bombing of IWC

On 1 April 1 1944, as a result of a fatal error, Schaffhausen was bombed by the American airforce. The watch factory was hit by a bomb which, fortunately, failed to detonate after crashing through the rafters. The flames from incendiaries exploding nearby penetrated the building through the broken windows but were extinguished by the company's own fire brigade.

This timepiece features a silver matte enamel dial with engraving is in excellent condition. This dial features a 60 minute outer track border, elegant black enameled Arabic numerals with lovely RED 12, original blue steel Breguet style hands and a seconds dial with 60 second outer chapter and “sweep” blue steel seconds hand. Signed International Watch Co. - SCHAFFHAUSEN in black enameled lettering below the 12. The new dial has been professionally updated, and now is in excellent condition. 

Steel case that provides with glass cover of back lid, new custom made, fantastic, build specially for this wonderful IWC movement. 

This beautiful wristwatch has the pristine Original movement in an excellent status which was very well saved, considering age of this watch. Mechanism has been recently serviced to ensure it winds and sets smoothly while keeping great, accurate time. The 15 jewels, manual wind gold plated high-grade mechanism with FOUR SCREWED GOLD SETTINGS & SWAN NECK MICROMETER is stamped JWC (Florentine Ariosto Jones Watch Company). This signature was used from 1895 till 1905 (mechanism numbers 102,000 to 350,000).

Also it signed movement serial number #285,104, dating the watch to 1903 as per company production records. This mechanism/model being a registered design by IWC.

Note the NOTCH below the 5 with lever. You pull this lever OUT when you want to set the time and press back IN when finished. You wind the watch up the regular way via the crown. 

It is fitted on a new 20mm brown genuine leather strap with steel buckle that has a great look to it.

Diameter (with crown):       51.00 mm
Diameter (without crown):  46.00 mm
Watch crystal diameter:     42.00 mm
Thickness:                         18.00 mm

This cleaned, oiled and regulated antique watch winds and sets very smoothly while keeping very good, accurate time.

Because of the vintage nature of the watch I cannot guarantee its absolute time keeping accuracy even if they are in good running condition and in some rare occasions may require additional adjustment.