Swiss 18K gold cabriolet pocket watch with chain Circa 1985

Gold limited edition cabriolet pocket watch 
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A very fine, rare and heavy Swiss 18 carat gold limited edition cabriolet pocket watch with a short 18 carat gold chain and an onyx set key made in the 1980s. The hand engraved gilded brass movement with a straight line lever escapement and 17 jewels, a monometallic balance, shock absorber, self compensating Breguet balance spring and micrometre regulator. A hinged gold cuvette, underneath an extra cover with two apertures for winding and setting. White enamel dial with Roman hours, an outer minute track, subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock, original black and gold Breguet hands. The solid, polished case with a stepped bezel and back, the inner case rotating to conceal or expose the dial as required and a release button in the pendant. Dial, case and movement signed case and movement numbered. Comes with the operating instructions.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: International Watch Co Schaffhausen
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Reference Number
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This timepiece was made in a limited edition of 250 pieces, still has the original foil seals and is numbered 74/250.
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International Watch Company Schaffhausen (IWC) was founded in 1868 by Florentine Ariosto Jones (1841–1916), an American engineer and watchmaker from Boston, Massachusetts, who had been a director of E. Howard & Co. in Boston, America’s leading watchmaking company at the time.

He established the company intending to combine modern engineering technology from the U.S. with the craftsmanship of the Swiss to manufacture high quality watches exclusively for the American market. Then, wages in Switzerland were relatively low although there was a ready supply of skilled watchmaking labour mainly carried out by people in their homes. Jones encountered opposition to his plans in French speaking Switzerland. People feared for their jobs and the work they did at home because he wanted to open a factory.

In 1850, Schaffhausen was in danger of being left behind in the Industrial Age. At this stage, watch manufacturer and industrialist Johann Heinrich Moser built Schaffhausen’s first hydroelectric plant laying the cornerstone for future industrialization. He probably met Jones in Le Locle and showed great interest in his plans. Together, they laid the foundations for the only watch manufacturer in northeast Switzerland: the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen.
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Cabriolet case. A cabriolet case in watchmaking refers to a type of watch case that features a hinged cover that allows the inner case to be turned into the outer case so that the timepiece can be used either as an open faced or as a hunting cased watch. The main advantage of a cabriolet case is that it protects the watch dial while still allowing easy access to view the time. Additionally, the reversible case protects the watch face from impact when wearing the watch, especially during intense or vigorous activities – for ladies tied to a chain around the neck and for men in the pocket. The cases are therefore often used in sports watches and other timepieces that are designed for active use.