IWC Yacht Club

Sometimes a vintage watch’s name is so on-the-nose that you can’t help but love it.

The IWC Yacht Club is one such watch.

Introduced at the Basel Fair in 1967, the Yacht Club was IWC’s attempt to create an all-weather, dressy-casual watch that the owner could wear in all environments. It represented a departure from the military pieces that the manufacture produced during and just following World War II, or the Aquatimer, the brand’s first dive watch that was released in 1967. IWC intended the Yacht Club to inhabit a middle ground between the two—still water resistant, still robust, but elegant enough to pass muster at a yacht club, for instance.

Actually, the name truly does say it all—in this case, it was where IWC intended the watch to be worn. Along with the Yacht Club, IWC released a whole “Club” line, marketed toward specific sports: for example, the Golf Club and the Polo Club, whose integrated bracelet foreshadowed the IWC Ingenieur SL that would be designed by Gerald Genta. However, neither the Golf Club nor the Polo Club were as successful as the Yacht Club, which found a niche both among contemporary consumers and collectors today.

In aesthetics as well as spirit, the Yacht Club bears comparison to the Rolex Datejust, that arbiter of casual luxury that has been a mainstay in the boxes of many vintage watch collectors since the 1940s. Like the Datejust, the Yacht Club brought together a sturdy stainless steel 36mm case, a sparse, elegant dial, and a robust automatic movement. For the Yacht Club, IWC relied on a calibre to rival any that Rolex produced: the Calibre 8541B.

For many technically-minded collectors, a movement can be the selling point for a watch, one that tips the scales from “maybe” to “I definitely have to have this.” In that arena, the Calibre 8541B definitely doesn’t disappoint. It was conceived by Albert Pellaton, IWC’s master calibrist, whose innovative winding system—featured in this watch—is known as “the Pellaton winding system.”

Although IWC would give the Yacht Club a successor—designed by Gerald Genta himself—these versions, being mostly quartz, aren’t nearly as popular as the originals. The one that we offer here is in excellent, virtually New Old Stock condition, complete with a steel “Oyster-style” bracelet and hang tag. For the collector who wishes to add a luxury sports watch—with a killer movement—to his collection, the Yacht Club is it.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.