Introduction
Coming together in 1978 and beginning as a means for IWC to bolster sales and create new markets for them to tap into, the Swiss watchmaker's collaboration with Porsche Design has gone down as one of the most successful and iconic collaborations within watchmaking. The collaboration has produced some fantastic watches over the decades, one of which being the very first timepiece they ever produced together, the IWC Porsche Design Compass Watch. Launched in 1978, it was designed by the same man who designed the Porsche 911 in 1963, Ferdinand A. Porsche. Having left his family’s eponymous automaker, Ferdinand founded Porsche Design Studio in 1972 and became known for his affinity for Bauhaus design aesthetics – a design language that IWC and Porsche Design’s collaboration watches would embody. As such, the IWC Porsche Design Compass Watch is a famously minimalist timepiece that features an uncomplicated circular 39mm two-tier PVD-coated aluminum case that features a black sector dial to display the time and a compass on the tier beneath that can be shown when the case has been opened via the pushers on either side of the lugs at 6 o’clock, with the lugs at 12 o’clock doubling as a hinge. A rare and interesting timepiece by all accounts, the example we have here was also commissioned by the Sultanate of Oman and so features a Khanjar dagger on its dial in keeping with the Royal family’s tradition when ordering timepieces from watchmakers.
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Grade
M 9
Status
Vetted & Approved
Included
Watch Only
Est. value range
$3,000 – $5,000
The Details
Brand
IWC
Dimensions
39mm x 12mm
Model
Porsche Design Compass Watch
Movement
Automatic
Reference
3551
Bracelet
PVD-coated aluminium bracelet
Year
Circa 1980s
Condition
Very good
Material
PVD-coated aluminium
Included
Watch only
Dial Color
Black
THE DIAL
Featuring a black sector dial with well-aged creamy luminescent hour markers and hands, this timepiece's dial is stunning, yet its pièce de résistance is its Khanjar Dagger at 9 o'clock, the ultimate mark of rarity for any timepiece.
THE DESIGN
Made from PVD-coated aluminum, the Compass watch's black bracelet and case are an incredibly sleek combination that add to its already minimalist design aesthetic. However, more importantly, aluminum's anti-magnetic properties allow the compass to operate as intended.
TIMING MACHINE READOUT
This reading was taken (crown down) with a ONEOF Accuracy Boutique Edition timing machine at time of cataloging. It is provided as a courtesy only, and shall not be construed as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please refer to our terms and conditions of sale for more information.
Condition
Watch is in overall excellent condition. There is minor wear at some of the edges of the PVD coating, but difficult to see. The hands have luminous that is a shade lighter than the indexes on the dial. Bracelet has 24 links total, and fits a 6.5" wrist.
Our Perspective
An incredibly revolutionary watch for its time, the IWC Porsche Design Compass Watch tackled new fronts for horology that no watchmaker would dare tackle during the peak of the Quartz Crisis. Not only was the timepiece mechanical, but it was also featured a new design aesthetic, new functions, new manufacturing techniques, and an entirely new material.
Eric Ku
Co-founder
