IWC Automatic - Blue Sunburst Dial - Circa 1970

At the end of the 1960s the whole world was looking up. Rockets rose off the Florida coast on live television, and a camera in lunar orbit caught the Earth from that distance for the first time, small and blue and alone. People had always wondered what was out there, and for the first time they could see it.

This IWC came out of exactly those years, its dial finished in carbon blue beneath a fine sunburst that shifts from bright blue to deep blue as the light crosses it. Applied batons inlaid with black mark the hours, slim pointed hands cross the center, and the date shows in a framed window at three. Some of the lacquer has flaked at the outer edge and around the hour markers, small losses shown plainly in the photographs.

Inside is caliber 8541B, the last and most refined of the automatic movements Albert Pellaton built for IWC, wound in both directions by the smallest turn of the wrist. IWC set it at the center of its range in these years, and it is still counted among the finest automatics of its era.

The steel case holds the soft cushion shape of its decade and remains in good condition, with light scratches across the back. On the crown swims IWC's small fish, the company's old mark that the case is sealed against water. A domed crystal covers the dial, and it comes on a black leather strap. The watch runs well, its service history is unknown. 

Terms: Please review all photos carefully as they are a part of the listing. This is a vintage timepiece. Accuracy, power reserve, and water resistance are not guaranteed. Vintage watches may require periodic service. Performance can vary with wear, temperature, and position.

All sales final.