01 / Hero image gallery
05 curated views
Additional imagery available privately
Approved reference imagery and supporting views are reviewed during a private inquiry.
01 / Crème brûlée dial, three-quarter
Identity block
IWC Cal. 89 "Crème Brûlée" — 1948
- Status
- Owned / In handOwned and available; details confirmed privately.
- Price
- $12,000
- Case size
- Approximately 35mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
02 / Collector summary
The reference at a glance.
A 1948 IWC Calibre 89 in stainless steel, with an aged patina dial in a crème brûlée tone and the quiet authority of a first-year-of-Mark-XI movement.
- Maker
- IWC
- Availability
- Owned / In hand
03 / Editorial story
A reason to look again.
Calibre 89 arrived in 1946 and ran to 1979: thirty-three years, making it IWC’s most-produced serious movement. In 1948, the RAF specified Cal. 89 for the Mark XI; a 1948 Cal. 89 is therefore a first-year-of-Mark-XI watch.
This is the Mark XI’s civilian twin: a post-war calibre in a civilian steel watch. Its predecessor, Calibre 83, was in the Mark X and IWC’s Dirty Dozen entry of 1944–45.
The dial patina is the story. Steel at approximately 35mm gives the watch the right proportions. The movement is IWC Calibre 89, hand-wound, with centre seconds and a time-only display.
Why this watch matters
Pellaton’s 1950 automatic pawl winding belongs to IWC’s automatic movements; it is not this hand-wound Calibre 89.
Fresh service: permitted for this listing after arrival if the inspection calls for it; no service is represented as completed before arrival.
04 / Provenance
The record travels with it.
Owned for the Beckham Intemporel collection; the applicable provenance is confirmed privately through the existing inquiry flow.
05 / Specifications
The technical record.
- Case sizeApproximately 35mm
- 1948
- Aged patina “crème brûlée” tone dial
- IWC Calibre 89, hand-wound, centre seconds, time-only
- Post-war movement in continuous production from 1946–1979
- Watch only
- Price
- $12,000
- Brand
- IWC
- Model Name
- IWC Cal. 89 "Crème Brûlée" — 1948
- Year
- 1948
- Case
- Stainless steel, approximately 35mm
- Dial
- Aged patina “crème brûlée” tone
- Movement
- IWC Calibre 89, hand-wound, centre seconds, time-only
- Box & Papers
- WATCH ONLY — no box, no papers, no booklets
06 / Condition as recorded
A clear account of the object.
Owned and available. Movement details beyond the Calibre 89 specification are reviewed privately before any transaction.
07 / Box & Papers
The complete picture.
- WATCH ONLY — no box, no papers, no booklets
08 / BIP verification note
Trust, made visible.
Every acquisition is reviewed through the BIP standard — provenance, configuration, condition, documentation, and disciplined verification.
The scope is reference-specific and confirmed privately before any purchase decision. It is a careful review process, not a guarantee of condition or outcome.
09 / Private inquiry
Continue with this reference.
Inquiries are private and handled personally. Begin a conversation and we will share the next details directly.