For the seventh time, IWC Schaffhausen is putting up a rare and significant antique watch for virtual auction. The charity auction at www.iwc.ch will support the marine research of The Cousteau Society.

The pre-Christmas auction on the Web site of the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has become an established tradition. It has long been a fixed date in the diary of many watch enthusiasts from all over the world. A W.W.W. (Watch, Wrist, Waterproof), a special version dating from 1945 produced for the ground troops of the British Army, will come up for auction on 9 December 2004. Another part of the tradition is for the proceeds to be donated to a humanitarian or cultural institution. After already having supported the expedition by The Cousteau Society
to the coral reefs in the Red Sea, IWC will now place the entire proceeds of the auction at the disposal of the organization to enable further projects in the area of marine research. Long before the three Ws signalled the arrival of the Cyberspace age, they were used by IWC to designate the first water-resistant military wristwatch. W.W.W. stands for Watch Wrist, Waterproof. The watch was produced for military service with the British Army, where it also found an application as a pilot’s watch. The Schaffhausen manufacture supplied six thousand watches to England from 1945 onwards. The royal arrowhead on the dial, known as the “Broad Arrow”, is the symbol traditionally used to denote property of the British armed forces. The stainless steel case with its soldered strap attachment lugs bears the number 1135534, has a small seconds hand at 6 o’clock and is provided with luminous numerals and hands. The internal workings: a 12-ligne, 4 mm high calibre 83 movement with the number 1091794, club-tooth lever escapement, 16 jewels, Breguet balance spring and compensation balance (bimetallic cut balance) with 18,000 beats per hour. This 60-year-old veteran has become an extremely rare collector’s piece with the passage of time and has continued to increase in value. This is a once-in-alifetime opportunity for all lovers of extraordinary timepieces.
The auction will be held on IWC’s home page (http://www.iwc.ch) and will open for bids on 9 December 2004. The minimum bid is 5'000 US Dollars. Incremental bids of between 50 und 200 US Dollars are acceptable. The hammer will fall for the last time between 4 p.m and 6 p.m. CET on 16 December 2004. The proceeds will be donated by IWC Schaffhausen to The Cousteau Society, a non-profit organizations which champions the preservation and protection of the oceans. The Society was founded in the USA in 1974 by the legendary French marine scientist, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who dedicated his life as an engineer, inventor, scientist and film-maker to
the fascinating world of the deep sea. Georges Kern, CEO of IWC, is enthusiastic about the cooperation with The Cousteau Society:” Jacques-Yves Cousteau was regarded as the advocate of the oceans. The Cousteau Society is totally committed to carrying on his legacy.” By entering a bid, you will have every chance of becoming the owner of this extraordinary W.W.W.


Source : IWC Press Release

www.iwc.ch
Contact : [email protected]

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