IWC’s impressive prestige and brand cachet certainly doesn’t need to be explained to those interested in watchmaking. Since their founding in 1868 they have produced some of the most consistently impressive timepieces of their time, which they still manage to do today. However, their vintage timepieces can sometimes go unnoticed by the broader market, and thus they can present truly exceptional value for a collector willing to sift through the world of vintage for their prize, just like the timepiece we have here, the IWC ref. 666. Launched in 1955, the ref. 666 is a refined and elegant timepiece that is inherently under-the-radar. Introduced as a new collection under the name “Ingenieur,” the ref. 666 was created as a timepiece that would be impervious to magnetic fields, as signified by the electric bolt through its name at 6 o’clock. Offered with a no-date and dated option, the example we have here is the ref. 666AD, powered by the automatic cal. 8531 movement. Boasting a simple silver dial and a supple beads of rice bracelet, this casual and unassuming, yet refined, timepiece was once offered as the apex of watchmaking technology.

An impressive piece of horology for the the 1950s, the Ingenieur was a big step forward in the world of anti-magnetic watches thanks to its soft iron cage protecting its movement against magnetic fields up to 80,000 amperes per meter (A/m) - an impressive feat at the time.