Why This Watch Matters This is a Pellaton powered automatic watch from IWC. Don't you wish doing your Peloton was as automatic as watching TV? The Full Story You may be sensing a theme here lately with 1960s IWC watches in our vintage drops. We're really pleased to offer a few examples of what we feel are still a bit under-the-radar relative to a lot of the vintage world. Continually impressive in the metal, these simple and automatic IWC dress watches offer a ton of design chops and are often found in larger water-resistant cases. The ref. 648A we have here is certainly no outlier. Devoid of any information you do not need, IWC kept the text to a minimum on this watch, with only the company's vintage script logo and a subtle "AUTOMATIC" indication above the six o'clock position and a "SWISS" wordmark underneath it at the very bottom of the dial. The applied hour baton markers and dauphine hands have black accents that add stark contrast against the monochromatic design. The date window is set slightly closer to the center of the dial, compared to its usual placement further to the right, which is a slightly interesting attribute. This example benefits from its lack, lack of lume that is. Without luminous material in the hands nor on the dial, a bump on your desk or door frame leads to catastrophe far, far less often. IWC's capabilities extend far beyond the apparent and visual. Under the hood is the self-winding caliber 8531 (the "1" at the end indicates this variant includes a date function), which is based on the brand's proprietary Pellaton automatic winding system that was developed by Albert Pellaton in 1950. This new self-winding architecture was considered revolutionary for its time, as it allowed energy to be transferred from the bi-directional rotor to the mainspring, a considerably more efficient solution compared to other self-winding movements of the era. Another practical feature of this caliber is that the date can be advanced by moving the hands either forward and backward instead of having to make a full rotation. Nearly 70 years since its creation, variations of the Pellaton self-winding system are still in use today in some modern IWC creations. We paired this simple, yet heady IWC with our calfskin watch strap in a light blue we call sea blue, the look is perfect for summer with a pop of cool color playing off of the silver dial in all the right ways. The Fine Print Maker: IWCModel: N/AReference: 648AYear: Early 1960sCase No: 1776627Movement No: 1693617Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 36.5mm diameter; 11mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: N/ACaliber: IWC, self winding, caliber 8531Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE Sea Blue Calfskin Watch StrapLug Width: 18mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Large case size- Fish logo on crown- "Non-lume" dial and hands Things To Know: - Scratches on case- Light patina on dial The watch is in overall great, honest condition. The case is strong with sharp lines on the bezel and lugs. There are some light scratches and indentations on the case, notably on the caseback, something most likely caused from the case being opened. There are a few scratches on the top of the lugs. The silver dial has developed a very light patina throughout and presents as champagne in some lights. The dial has a tiny mark in the center of the IWC text. The hour markers and hands have developed some patina and match very nicely. The crown shows some wear with a slight indentation in the center. The crystal has some scratches. The datewheel has developed some patina. The dial, case, crown, and movement are signed by IWC. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
