IWC Ingenieur 666A Gold Markers

The birth of the first IWC Ingenieur was in 1954, when the original reference 666 was presented. Here you can see an IWC Ingenieur 666A with a rare combination of a stainless steel case and gold hour markers.

The first generation of the Ingenieur was primarily intended for professionals exposed to strong electromagnetic fields in their work environment, such as engineers or doctors. Soon, the Ingenieur also became popular among those who preferred a robust watch with a masculine yet elegant look.

The Ingenieur wristwatch was distinguished by its high standards of water resistance, magnetic field protection and rate precision. IWC's automatic calibre 852 took care of the drive, which was equipped with a Pellaton winding system, a patented winding system developed by Albert Pellaton. Between the movement and the caseback, a metal jacket provided magnetic field protection up to 80,000 amperes per meter (A/m). Thus, the Ingenieur achieved more than 16 times the resistance required by the Swiss standard for antimagnetic watches.

The present Ingenieur has a rare combination of a stainless steel case and 18 carat yellow gold markers. The beautiful "Calatrava" style dial features the 18K yellow gold dauphine hands so popular in the 1950s. The minimalist design is created thanks to fine minute track on the dial rim and thanks to the fine printing on the silver dial.

With its 37mm case, the Ingenieur is a relatively large wristwatch from the 1950s. Most watches from that era were much smaller. Thanks to the domed acrylic crystal and thin bezel, the timepiece offers a beautiful presence on the wrist.

Condition report
Dial: absolutely flawless silver dial - original luminous material in hands and hour markers - signed "SWISS".

Case: 37mm stainless steel case with screw back - very light wear marks - sharp lugs - sharp case number between lugs.

Movement: IWC automatic caliber 852 in great condition.

Summing-Up
The popularity of the Ingenieur among today's collectors and technophile watch fans is absolutely understandable: it is one of the first "tool" watches with reliable movement and timeless design. The IWC Ingenieur here is an excellently preserved example of the already rare early reference 666, plus the attractive and rare dial version with gold markers and hands.

Case number: 1342xxx
Movement number: 1298xxx

Int.Exe.: 67922