£2,150.00
Introduced in 1948, IWC’s Calibre 853 represented a significant milestone in the development of automatic wristwatches. Designed under the direction of Albert Pellaton, the movement employed the ingenious Pellaton winding system, which converted motion in either direction of the rotor into winding energy through a series of pawls and ratchet wheels. This highly efficient mechanism became a hallmark of IWC engineering and remained in production, in various forms, for decades. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, the calibre had earned a reputation for exceptional durability and reliability, helping to establish IWC as one of Switzerland’s foremost manufacturers of technically accomplished wristwatches.
This example embodies the restrained elegance that defined IWC’s dress watches of the period. Housed in a stainless steel case, this watch features a clean white dial with applied silver baton markers and finely faceted dauphine hands, a combination characteristic of the era’s shift towards modernist design. The signed crown and uncluttered dial layout reflect IWC’s emphasis on functionality and refinement, while the absence of unnecessary ornamentation allows the quality of the case, dial furniture and movement to speak for themselves. Today, early Calibre 853 models are particularly sought after by collectors, representing one of the purest expressions of mid-century Swiss watchmaking and a pivotal chapter in IWC’s history.
| Case Size | 35mm (excluding crown) |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Watch only. |
| Complications | No complications. |
| Calibre | International Watch Company in-house Cal.853 |
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