IWC Ingenieur 866A

IWC / Intern. Watch Co. Ingenieur Bundeswehr

A rare, antimagnetic vintage wristwatch with date display, delivered to the Bundeswehr. This watch was used by the Bundeswehr for testing purposes, but was not included in standard equipment. The legendary 'Ingenieur' was designed by IWC’s technical director Albert Pellaton, who was the brains behind the company’s first automatic movements – the calibres 81 and 85. The functional Ingenieur model was produced for the civil market and available from 1954 on in steel or gold and a variety of styles. The famous signature of the 'lightning bolt' passing through the name 'Ingenieur' was chosen to emphasise the anti-magnetic properties of the watch, as the soft iron shield safeguards the movement from magnetic fields. One of the earliest functional watches to boast a characteristic, timeless design, the Ingenieur models have become a style icon among the collectors. With its stunning steel case and the black dial with its slightly patinated luminous numerals the Ingenieur is certainly not 'just' a timekeeper. The watch is a magnificent combination of beauty and function and is not only highly coveted by the collectors of classic IWC timepieces, but appeals to a much wider spectrum of watch enthusiasts. The watch comes with an additional steel pin buckle and a black replacement dial. This watch comes from Konrad Knirim's extensive collection of military timepieces and is illustrated and described in his book 'Militäruhren' (military timepieces), Bottrop 2002, p. 582.