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1990s IWC Ingenieur Chrono Alarm

Reference
IW3805-01
6400
(or
6400
via wire transfer)
Diameter
34 mm
Condition
Near Mint
Box/Papers
Full set

An Ingenieur with a sublime black tritium dial, a nifty alarm function, and the JLC 633 meca-quartz movement.

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Overview

A battery powered movement that was more impressive than its mechanical peers? One could argue that was the case with the JLC caliber 633, a product of the Quartz Crisis that sought to bridge the gap between modern technology and horology’s mechanical roots. The movement contained over 200 moving parts and utilized two quartz stepping motors to power the main timekeeping hands and a mechanically driven chronograph. As if that wasn’t enough, the JLC 633 was also given an alarm function for added utility.

A workhorse movement like this needed a robust housing that could keep up. IWC delivered in 1991 with the sportiest Ingenieur yet — the reference 3805. Iterating on Genta's foundation for the Ingenieur, the Chrono Alarm added a flieger dial, knurled crowns and pushers, and a red skeleton alarm hand. For a watch with as much hubris, one might expect the case to be up-sized to match. Thankfully, designers opted to keep it the same 34mm size as the standard Ingenieurs of the time.

The example here is one of the nicest 3805s you’ll ever see, complete with the original boxes, booklets, and even an inner storage container styled after the Ingenieur bezel. The case and dial have been wonderfully preserved, with only faint signs of wear and light aging of the tritium plots. With so much visual and mechanical interest, it's no surprise the Ingenieur Chrono Alarm has developed quite a collector following in recent years.

Specifications

Brand:

IWC

Model:

Ingenieur Chrono Alarm

Reference:

IW3805-01

Year:

1990s

Case Number:

2518315

Case Material:

Stainless steel

Diameter:

34 mm

Lug Width:

23 mm

Thickness:

9.0 mm

Lug-to-Lug:

42.8 mm

Dial:

Black

Lume:

Tritium

Crystal:

Sapphire

Movement:

Meca-quartz

Caliber:

JLC 633

Bracelet/Strap:

IWC stainless steel bracelet

Max Wrist Size:

7.375 in (23 links)

Hand model has a wrist size of 6.1 in

Condition

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Near Mint
:
Case has only a few superficial hairlines. Lugs are thick, full, and sharp with superb finishing. Dial, hands, and lume may have micro imperfections visible only with a loupe.

Case: The stainless steel case shows minimal wear with only a couple faint hairlines and tiny nicks present. The overall impression is very clean. The lugs are thick and well-defined. The brushed bezel is in fantastic condition with crisp edges. The caseback shows a couple of hairlines and faint signs of prior caseback removal. The serial number engraving remains sharp and legible.

Dial, Hands, & Crystal: The black dial and polished hands are in pristine condition with no notable imperfections. The tritium across the dial and hands remains intact with no cracking present. The hand plots have aged to a slightly lighter shade of yellow than the hour markers. When exposed to UV light, there is no lasting glow. The sapphire crystal is squeaky clean and scratch-free.

Bracelet/Strap: The IWC stainless steel bracelet is in immaculate condition with virtually no stretching and hardly any wear outside of a few light marks near the clasp. The clasp securely closes without issue. The IWC engraving remains crisp and detailed.

Performance

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Timing: The watch has been manually observed over a 24-hour period. While resting face up, the rate is 0s/d.

Functions: All functions including the crown-winding, time setting, quickset date, alarm, and chronograph start/stop/reset are working as expected.

Service History: Unknown.

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What’s Included

What’s Included

watch

Watch

IWC Ingenieur Chrono Alarm on a stainless steel bracelet.

inventory_2

Box/Papers

Boxes, instructions for the standard Ingenieur, guarantee booklet, service booklet, and unsigned warranty booklet.

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Extras