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Thread: Vintage IWC Yacht Club - just arrived

  1. #1
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    Vintage IWC Yacht Club - just arrived

    Apologies in advance for the average images - needs a polish and a test before going for a swim with it, but in case there are any other YC owners here on TZ-UK, thought I'd share.





    Cheers

    Richard
    Last edited by zambo; 7th January 2013 at 13:30.

  2. #2
    Master
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    I like that. Overall prefer it to the latest incarnation.

  3. #3
    Master studly's Avatar
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    Nice watch but a nicer pool.

  4. #4

    Mine says hello

    I just got this a couple of months ago, an i am still totaly loving it

    Do you know i have seen the same bracelt on ebay for $1500 as it is the same one for the INGY which although it has the same movement and beacelet commands a much higher price


    I would be interested to know what you paid for yours, PM me if you like to discuss the pricing
    Last edited by Andy Schuhren; 6th January 2013 at 11:26.

  5. #5
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    Nice YC there Andy.

    I think the price difference between YC's and the Ingenieur's of the same era (70's) is that the YC was a far more numerous produced and sold watch in the IWC stable.

    So there are less Ingy's for resale from this period and of course it had the soft iron inner case to combat magnetic fields as part of the design - all pushing it's value above a vintage YC.
    Last edited by zambo; 6th January 2013 at 12:08.

  6. #6
    Master Argon's Avatar
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    Really like these. Nice clean shape; classic and high quality movement.

  7. #7
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    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by studly View Post
    Nice watch but a nicer pool.
    Thanks Studly - it is a nice space to relax in. It is also pretty hot here at the moment so the pool is getting plenty of use.

  8. #8
    Craftsman soegaard's Avatar
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    Congratulations

    Congratulations on your lovely classic Yacht Club. I have a similar one ref. 811AD from 1972.
    JK



  9. #9
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    Another owner here

    They are a lovely watch - often gets positive comments.

    Mine is on a strap - I'll sort out a photo when I get chance

  10. #10
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    Thanks JK - yours looks great. I have another 8541 based IWC from the same period with this bracelet. A different reference bracelet to yours, though similar.



    So with that I plan to buy a really nice brown croc band with quality deployment and have three "looks" for the YC.

    It reminds me so much of the Datejusts from the 70's (the smooth bezel variety). Except as I am inclined to say, the IWC is technically a better watch.

    Cheers

    Richard
    Last edited by zambo; 9th January 2013 at 12:49.

  11. #11
    Grand Master Daddelvirks's Avatar
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    Now there's a lovely way to start the new year.
    Great vintage piece with movement to match.

    Daddel.
    Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!

  12. #12
    Master
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    A nice piece, for sure. Agree that it's a nicer looking watch than it's modern namesake. Enjoy!

  13. #13
    Craftsman soegaard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zambo View Post
    Thanks JK - yours looks great. I have another 8541 based IWC from the same period with this bracelet. A different reference bracelet to yours, though similar.



    Richard
    Thanks. Yes IWC used several different bracelet designs. Made by GF most of them. Here is another bracelet on my Inge 666. The end pieces does not fit this watch very well. I also attach a copy of an old bracelet catalog page. Most of the bracelets were used on both the Inge and the YC range.
    JK


  14. #14
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    Quick snap of my IWC YC


  15. #15
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    Great looking vintage watches, was after one of these a while ago but never managed to get one. Thanks for sharing the pics.

    Cheers
    Jim

  16. #16
    cool very nice , love the IWC logo on it

  17. #17
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    For anyone interested, there is another one currently on evil-bay - item no 251211054997

    P.S. I have no link with the sale

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by donny View Post
    For anyone interested, there is another one currently on evil-bay - item no 251211054997

    P.S. I have no link with the sale
    Looks a very clean one.

  19. #19
    Craftsman _jonte's Avatar
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    Sv: Vintage IWC Yacht Club - just arrived

    What a great looking, classic timepiece!

  20. #20
    Master
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    My no-date version back from its service. I’ve always been partial to these and I think the silvered sunburst dial is one of the nicest variants.





    Managed to find a correct NOS original crystal for it while it was away - high sides suit the watch well, and it still managed to pass its 30m pressure test despite a bit of visible ageing.


  21. #21
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    I had one a couple of years ago, and tried for months to get a bracelet for it before giving up and moving it on. Lovely watch.


  22. #22
    Master
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    I’ve been looking around myself for a bracelet. There are one or two available but I just can’t justify the prices to myself at the moment. While the vendors justify their prices by saying that there are none available any cheaper or that there are others at even higher prices, none of the bracelets concerned ever seem to actually sell. Even IWC buckles from that period are ludicrously expensive and it’s quite hard to ascertain if they are genuine.

    I’m awaiting a custom alligator strap, and I have a nice period non-IWC buckle that will look the part, while I think on about the bracelet.

  23. #23
    these are nice looking watches, how big are these yacht clubs?

  24. #24
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rudy Russo View Post
    these are nice looking watches, how big are these yacht clubs?
    About 36mm across the case, I think, so fairly small by current standards. Nicely proportioned with a narrow bezel so wears very nicely on my 7 1/4 - 7 1/2" wrist but might look a bit small on someone more burly.

  25. #25
    Master
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    That brown strap suits Si's watch really well.

    Rob

  26. #26
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    A really nice watch; I serviced an 18ct gold one last year and I was very impressed.

    However.....I definitely would not recommend swimming in a vintage watch like this! Not sure what the water resistance was from new, but I can`t see it being that high (2-3 bar?) That in itself isn`t a problem, but bear in mind the fact that the watch is over 40 yrs old. The crown seal is the big problem area; the seal and case tube will almost certainly be worn. IWC wont supply a new crown, I tried and was refused, so unless the watch has been serviced by IWC recently there's a good chance the crown will be very old. On the one I serviced, the crown seal was working and I judged the watch to be splashproof, but it definitely wasn`t suitable for swimming! From memory, the design of the seal doesn`t lend itself to replacement with an O-ring so there's no way of replacing it.

    Getting water into one of these isn`t a good idea. Parts availability is v. limited; if it gets damaged it'll need to go to IWC and they'll charge a lot to sort it out.

    Frankly, the OP's being very unwise if he swims in this. enjoy the watch for what it is, not what it isn`t. Judging from the date of the post it's probably too late to advise......if he's got away with it so far I`d quit whilst ahead!

    Paul
    Last edited by walkerwek1958; 2nd June 2014 at 15:39.

  27. #27
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    Stunning watch. Perfect size. Lovely details.
    I want one...

  28. #28
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    However.....I definitely would not recommend swimming in a vintage watch like this! Not sure what the water resistance was from new, but I can`t see it being that high (2-3 bar?) That in itself isn`t a problem, but bear in mind the fact that the watch is over 40 yrs old. The crown seal is the big problem area; the seal and case tube will almost certainly be worn. IWC wont supply a new crown, I tried and was refused, so unless the watch has been serviced by IWC recently there's a good chance the crown will be very old. On the one I serviced, the crown seal was working and I judged the watch to be splashproof, but it definitely wasn`t suitable for swimming! From memory, the design of the seal doesn`t lend itself to replacement with an O-ring so there's no way of replacing it.
    Paul
    I can't speak for the OP (it's an old thread) but I wouldn't chance it with mine despite it passing a 30m pressure test and a negative pressure test, done more out of curiosity than anything else. The watchmaker was as surprised by the test result as I was.

    The first couple of watchmakers I asked declined to service the watch due to the parts issues, but fortunately there are a few watchmakers around who hoard parts. There are occasionally allegedly unused parts available on Ebay for this calibre too.

  29. #29
    Grand Master
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    The parts situation is really frustrating for these. They're superbly engineered, a cut above what Omega (and others) produced in that era.

    I`ve worked on 2 and I wouldn`t touch another one. Knowing that you can't get replacement parts is no fun.......a lost part or lost screw could be v. embarrassing! The movement's so nice it should be a joy to work on, but knowing you can`t replace things makes it far from enjoyable so I steer clear of them.

    New (generic)mainsprings are available and ideally the barrel should be replaced too......but you can`t get a new one so the old barrel has to be retained. Producing the optimum amplitude and power reserve is dependent on the condition of the old barrel, and that's a dilemma with old automatic watches where the barrel is NLA. If the parts don`t exist you accept it and do the best you can, but when the manufacture is choosing to restrict parts supply it's bloody frustrating.

    Having scratched my head, I now remember the crown seal being a short tube of synthetic rubber or soft plastic, which gives a larger contact area on the pendant tube. It can`t be replaced, but it does last better than a conventional O-ring and that's probably why Si's watch is sealing OK.

    Every aspect of these watches oozes quality; I`ve no interest in IWC's current offerings but these are sheer class.

    Paul
    Last edited by walkerwek1958; 2nd June 2014 at 23:05.

  30. #30
    The steel case and silver face version is a lovely thing. I remember looking lustfully at LTF's piece and missing the sale. Yes, I remain a little miffed at missing it and suffer the odd pang of envy on seeing these pics.

    OP please don't take it in the water. The movement is much too good to risk damage through a faulty old seal. The nearest it should get to moisture is the condensation on a long glass with a decent G and T in it!

  31. #31
    Master
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    Actually, I don't care whether it's got 'Ingenieur' on the dial or not. The balance of dial contours, indices, hands and case of this generation of IWCs was excellent.

    Last edited by Tinker; 3rd June 2014 at 10:23.

  32. #32
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    Don't worry ...

    To all the posters that were worried that I might swim with my YC, you needn't worry. Whilst it has run flawlessly since the initial post (January 2013), I haven't had it serviced nor pressure tested so I would never risk it (or any watch for that matter where I haven't first hand evidence of the recent history) without those steps in place.

    In fact, even with that I probably wouldn't swim in the YC - why would I, when I would wear this ...







  33. #33
    Master
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    ^ That is the only relatively modern IWC that I like. The proportions are perfect.

    Tinker, your Ingenieur is so nice. Despite not being much bigger across the case than the YC, it is a much more substantial watch to handle with some heft added by the heavier case, soft iron dial and movement cover. They exceed my budget though and I like the slightly unconventional case shape of the YC.

    Barrels and parts: walkerwek1958, are the used cal 854 barrels occasionally seen on Ebay likely to be ones that have been discarded due to wear?

  34. #34
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Si View Post
    ^
    Barrels and parts: walkerwek1958, are the used cal 854 barrels occasionally seen on Ebay likely to be ones that have been discarded due to wear?
    Possibly! It's always good practice to replace the barrel and spring. I suspect the ones that crop up on ebay are the items that have been replaced. They may have plenty of useful life left in them, or be better than what's fitted to a watch that someone's trying to sort out. Unless an item is from a seller with a very good reputation I`d steer clear of buying. Second-hand watch parts are a risk, I only use them when the item in question is broken or completely worn out.

    It's a shame someone isn`t producing replacement spring barrels for these, and for several of the early Omega automatics.

    Paul

  35. #35
    To go off topic a tad ( apologies ) Tinker's Inge remind's me of the Pilot Mk XII. Small by current standards; however the dial balance and legibility show the modern offerings how it should be done. Just like the Yacht Club in that respect.

  36. #36
    Craftsman SiderealJ's Avatar
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    Congratulations and a nice IWC I think..
    But it always make me wonder with the model names that these peeps come up with.. like Yacht club and Yachtmaster... But it has absolutely no use for yachting!

  37. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by Si View Post
    About 36mm across the case, I think, so fairly small by current standards. Nicely proportioned with a narrow bezel so wears very nicely on my 7 1/4 - 7 1/2" wrist but might look a bit small on someone more burly.
    nice size, thanks

  38. #38
    ... the YC I provides certainly excellent value-for-money if your are looking for classic watches from this period - prices are usually rather reasonible (from the buyer-perspective, that is...), as this model was extremely successful in its time and, thus, quite a few good examples are still available today. And they are also robust due to the 10 bar depth rating and the special shock protection (the movement is cushioned by a ring of buffer elements).













    For a collector, having at least one of these is a must - as it was the last representative of the golden age of mechanical wrist watches right before the quartz crisis. While the YC I was probably one of the (of not the) best selling IWC models in the pre-quartz history of IWC (with sales figures in the solid five digits), everything afterwards was more or less a commercial disaster - be it the other club watches (Polo Club, Golf Club) or the legendary Ingenieur SL 1832.

    Interestingly, while the Yacht Club I is probably the most accessible classic IWC, the Yacht Club II is extremely rare to come by:













    Cheers,
    Christian

  39. #39
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    Great post Christian - I recently picked up a lovely Golf Club that is growing on me.

    In hindsight, I think it is an ideal size for a lady still offering that superlative movement.



    Forgive the poor image - my photography is not up to others. But this comparison with the YC shows the size difference quite well.

    The GC is a nice piece though as these images by the previous owner indicate.





    My wrist is only in 7.5 inch range so not massive - but it seems a little small. But I am giving it time. But not for everyone's taste I agree.

    Your watches are beautiful and the YC II I think would be a great watch in the auto - it is so Royal Oak to look at.

    Regards

    Richard

  40. #40
    Craftsman JeppeRober's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by soegaard View Post
    Congratulations on your lovely classic Yacht Club. I have a similar one ref. 811AD from 1972.

    Those Gay Freres bracelets are awesome! Very comfortable on the wrist and they just exude class.

  41. #41
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    The bracelets are indeed awesome - though I think getting a spare link if you need one is now near impossible. But they are a beautiful bit of manufacture.

    Are the oyster bracelets also a GF design or just an IWC version of the typical oyster of the day?

  42. #42
    Master
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    Excellent posts and lovely watches, Christian and Richard. I think I could quite happily restrict any future collecting to IWCs from this period. As well as the cal 854 / 8541s, there were some very nice tuning fork watches from this era.

    The third member of the "club" was the Polo Club, presumably the least popular, as discussed here:

    http://www.iwcforum.com/Articles/BonthondArticle.pdf



    (Image from http://www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/23326/ )

  43. #43
    Master
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    Yacht Clubs come up fairly frequently on Ebay. This blue dialled one looks quite well preserved, without much degradation of the dial around the lume dots, as seems to occur with the blues:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2813542795...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

    This silver sunburst dial one also seems to have nice sharp case edges and still looks reasonable with an hour or two to go as we speak:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2515515170...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

    Both have bracelets - not the oyster style, granted, but I’d be happy with one of that style. They seem to be even harder to buy on their own than the oysters!

    I love my YC but I do now wish I’d gone for one with a bracelet.

  44. #44
    They went quite cheep I would say I paid a bit more for my 72 with oyster style bracelet

  45. #45
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    I think overall the oyster is the more robust bracelet. The other kind I have as featured in the earlier picture is quite elegant in comparison but as a result "feels" a little more flimsy (only by comparison).

  46. #46
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Schuhren View Post
    They went quite cheep I would say I paid a bit more for my 72 with oyster style bracelet
    I think they could have expected a bit more for them as both were in good order - many of the Ebay ones have been polished to death or, in the case of the blue ones, have degraded dials.

    At the other extreme, some of the dealer prices for 811ADs are ludicrous.

    Zambo: agreed, the oyster is the better practical bracelet. I'd still have one of the alternatives if the price was right though (hint, hint). It's surprising that I never see any of the non-oysters for sale on their own.

  47. #47
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    Mine belongs to another 8541b "engined" IWC. Out of curiosity Si, what is your wrist size?

  48. #48
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by zambo View Post
    Mine belongs to another 8541b "engined" IWC. Out of curiosity Si, what is your wrist size?
    Hi Zambo - about 7 1/4” (18.4 cm) to 7 1/2” (19 cm).

  49. #49
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    A true IWC classic

    Ivan
    iwcforme

  50. #50
    I have a 1970 IWC Yacht Club (Cal 8541) that was purchased just a few months ago in excellent condition from an established UK dealer of vintage watches. Everything was fine until it started to lose about 3 minutes a day recently, so I sent it to an Omega and Rolex accredited watchmaker with considerable experience in all vintage watches for an assessment.

    After examining the watch I was informed last week that it was all good but required a new rotor post, which had simply worn out after many years of use. Just today I had a call back to say the cost of this single part would be an eye watering £221 + VAT and that it would have to come from Australia. There may well be other charges not mentioned as well.

    I am a collector of vintage watches with a number of high quality watches from the 50s, 60s and 70s but this is my only IWC, so I was shocked to be quoted this price and the fact that it had to come from Australia, being told these parts are impossible to find. Can anybody with more experience of vintage IWC watches offer any advice here?

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