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The market price is approximately 200,000 to 300,000 yen. However, this time, we have set a price of 400,000 yen for this particular piece.
Now, about this Old Inter. Please allow me to explain why we have valued this piece, with its appealing bullet indexes, at 400,000 yen.
At first glance, it might seem a bit bold. However, there's a clear reason for this price.
This is a dress watch from the old IWC, commonly known as "Old Inter." It features the hand-wound Cal. 89 movement in a 35mm case, which was the standard size at the time.
It isn't flashy. However, this watch is built on "balance."
Uncluttered dial
Subtle indexes
Thin bezel with long, slender lugs
None of these elements are overly assertive, yet they are undeniably well-arranged. This "arrangement" calls to mind the lineage of a certain watch.
If this watch had no logo, and one were to look purely at its design, wouldn't most people associate it with the Patek Philippe Calatrava, especially the Ref. 570 lineage?
Dial design that utilizes negative space
Simple three-hand configuration
Natural integration of case and lugs
The visual structure is very similar.
The Ref. 570, depending on the material,
ranges from several million yen for WG/YG
to even more for stainless steel (due to rarity premium).
On the other hand, this IWC typically sells for around 200,000 to 300,000 yen on the market.
Simply put, there's a difference of more than tenfold.
What's important here is not just a difference in quality, but a difference in the roles that brands play.
● Patek Philippe
A solid position as the pinnacle of dress watches
Valuation encompassing history, lineage, and the collector's market
A brand where "ownership itself has meaning" → Value includes "culture and asset quality" beyond just the watch itself
● IWC
A brand that prioritizes practicality and robust construction
Rationality over excessive ornamentation
Reliability as "a watch for use" → "Completeness as a tool" is the core of its valuation
Due to this difference, even with similar design structures, market valuations diverge significantly.
Of course, differences exist.
Tension in case finishing
Aesthetics and thinness of the movement
Attention to detail
However, if these differences were directly proportional to the price gap—which can be several or even more than ten times—it would look a little different.
The Cal. 89, which is the core of this watch,
has durability backed by years of proven performance
stable accuracy
and a rational design for maintenance.
It is a movement with an exceptionally high degree of "completeness for everyday use."
Its design is for continued use, not for flashy extravagance. This is where IWC's character shines through.
The current market price is around 200,000 to 300,000 yen. Taking that into account, we have set a price of 400,000 yen for this particular piece.
The reason is simple:
We believe that this watch is not a "low-value watch" but rather a watch that is relatively undervalued due to its brand context.
The design has a completeness comparable to the Calatrava.
The movement is extremely excellent for practical use.
The size of 35mm is a classic ideal.
Considering all these factors, the current market price seems somewhat modest.
Overall, Old Inter watches have seen a re-evaluation in recent years. As watches chosen for their "quality and balance" rather than flashiness are reconsidered, we believe that prices in this segment may rise in the future.
If this watch had a Patek logo—it certainly wouldn't be in this price range.
However, this is not a simple matter of superiority or inferiority, but rather a difference in the context in which it is valued.
The value of a watch is shaped not only by its specifications but also by the "meaning" attributed to it by the brand and the market.
This IWC might be one of those pieces whose meaning is currently changing.
▼ Details of the watch introduced this time are here
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The quartz revolution began in earnest with the Seiko Astron in 1969.
This technology, offering superior precision and practicality, changed the course of horological history.
By the 1970s, this wave reached the luxury watchmakers of Switzerland. Rolex, too, had to face this new technology.
However, Rolex did not aim to create a "mass-producible, efficient quartz."
Instead, they chose a different path: To redefine quartz in the Rolex way.
The result was the Oysterquartz, released in 1977, and its beating heart, the Caliber 5035.
Standard quartz movements are often composed of simple electronic circuits and plastic gears, prioritizing rationality and cost-efficiency.
The Cal. 5035 is clearly different.
What is particularly remarkable is that the drive mechanism for the hands uses the same escapement concept as a mechanical watch.
Instead of transmitting the motor's power directly to the hands, it first "controls" it through a pallet fork. This design prioritizes durability and stability over mere theoretical precision.
As a result, the seconds hand has a distinct, powerful ticking motion. The sound and feel are unique—unlike any other quartz watch in existence.
▼ Hear the powerful "Tick" sound
📷 Watch on InstagramLooking at the Cal. 5035 from the case back, one might forget it is a battery-powered movement.
The finishing level is nearly identical to the flagship automatic movement of the era, the Cal. 3035.
Rolex did not simplify it because it was quartz. Even as quartz, it had to meet Rolex standards.
This obsession with quality speaks volumes about the brand's philosophy.
The Cal. 5035 features an analog thermal compensation mechanism to minimize errors caused by temperature changes.
A thermistor inside the movement senses the ambient temperature and physically adjusts the voltage sent to the crystal oscillator. Achieving this with analog circuits in the 1970s—before digital control became the norm—is a feat of engineering.
Consequently, it achieved an astonishing precision of just seconds per year at the time.
Perhaps the most critical aspect for us at TS Trading is that the Cal. 5035 is designed to be serviced and overhauled.
Many quartz watches are disposable; when they break, the movement is replaced. However, the Cal. 5035 can be disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and re-adjusted, just like a mechanical watch.
This proves that Rolex never viewed quartz as a "consumable" item. It was built to last a lifetime.
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