IWC guide · 5 min read
How to care for your IWC
A IWC is built to outlast its owner — but how it's treated decides whether it holds value as an asset or quietly loses it. The habits below cost almost nothing, and one theme runs through all of them: originality is value. Most 'improvements' owners make to watches reduce what dealers will pay.
Caring for a IWC: what matters most
IWC's engineering-first culture makes its watches robust daily companions, but each family has its own care logic. Pilot's watches historically used soft-iron inner cages for magnetism protection; Portugiesers are dressier and thinner-sealed; Aquatimers are true divers that need gasket discipline like any other.
Service every five to seven years through IWC or a competent independent. The big Pellaton-winding calibres are long-haul movements, but they reward regular servicing — and documented history reads well to the brand's famously loyal second-hand buyers.
IWC care checklist
- Screw the big pilot crowns down fully — they're inviting to fidget with and an open crown defeats the case.
- Keep vintage pilot models away from strong magnets despite the iron cage; modern protection is better but not infinite.
- Portugieser leather straps wear — replace freely but keep the IWC buckle.
- Don't polish the case edges; IWC's understated finishing shows wear-through quickly.
- Pressure-test Aquatimers before dive or swim seasons.
The universal rule: don't polish
Polishing removes metal — every pass softens case lines and rounds edges, permanently. Dealers and collectors pay premiums for unpolished watches and discount refinished ones. Honest scratches are expected and priced in; missing metal is forever. If you're preparing the watch for sale, clean it gently and stop there.
Thinking of selling?
A well-kept IWC is exactly what registered dealers compete for. Submit it once, free — dealers see the watch (never your details) and place binding rand offers. Take the best one or walk away.
Ready to sell your IWC?
Submit your watch free. Registered dealers bid, you take the best or walk away.