I hope someone can help me on this one. After searching online I have found that the IWC Pallweber Jump Hour pocket watch often was not signed IWC. I have this gorgeous silver hunter and I am a bit confused. If it is a Pallweber the serial number 280905 dates it later than the examples I have found. The movement looks very similar but the examples have an extra bridge.
Please check the pictures of the dial and movement.
It is not signed Pallweber which I have read was a requirement for IWC to sell them. It is signed SYST BREVETE.
I will be posting this on eBay soon.
Samuel

movement

Close up of engravings on movement

I Guess no one can help on this one.
Samuel

Samuel,

Gerald is your man when it comes to watch house histories, I'm just a mechanic, so for what it's worth, and just my opinions mind, I don't think your watch has anything to do with IWC, other than it shares the same patents for its digital operation.

As far as I know, IWC never produced movements with cylinder escapements, which is what your watch has, but I'm always open to being educated if I'm mistaken.

All examples I've found of IWC based Pallweber type movements have been lever types.
Stauffer (SS&Co) who were associated with IWC did produce cylinder escapement movements, but these may have predated their association with IWC.

Cortebert also used Pallweber patents to produce Digital watches, and probably others did too.

'Syst Brevette' simply translates as 'Patented system' which it was, by Pallweber.
This type movement could be made by any ebauche maker that was licensed to use the patent, and as we know all too well, many beautiful movements never even got so much as an initial anywhere to ID them.

In a similar vein, Hebdomas had their patented 8 day designs with visible escapement copied by many makers, which included those churning out the design driven by very crude Roskopf trains - which is another rats nest of design patents which many copied!

I guess if you spent a few sleepless nights trawling google, you'd come up with a few other makers that used the patent.

If you were brave enough, you could even take the bezel and dial wheels off to see if there are marks anywhere.

Personally, I'd offer the watch for what it is and let it stand on its own merits, rather than try to conjure up a very tenuous link with IWC - and if it's going on eBay, they'll rip it off straight away if you can't authenticate it!

Nice peice though for some lucky buyer!

Best regards

John

Thanks John for the information.
I have put this on eBay and it is up over $500 as of this writing. I understand several people were able to use the system or patent but what got me was the high serial number. If it is an IWC the serial number is just 15-20 years after the Pallweber examples I have seen. It could be (and I hope I'm not stretching to far here)a US Import that did not have the Pallweber name to keep the cost down. Sadly I did not find anything under the dial to help out. But either way the watch has been posted on the Bay as it sits. Hopefully someone smarter than me bids it up high!
Samuel

I'll try and Jump onto this thread with a question. I have a friend who has one very similar but has "IWC" on the dial. Apparently no markings on the movement. He says it is in an 18K case. Any thoughts or ideas? I hope to follow with photos.

#2

#3

Your friend's watch's movement looks like an authentic IWC Pallweber Cal. 40, 41, or 42 "Elgin II." I had a virtually identical one once, but sold it because it ran poorly despite $300 in servicing costs. My watchmaker described it as a crude novelty watch: "A few jewels would have been nice; [so would some] finished gears." I am not sure why the 15 jewels in the watch were insufficient.

Thanks Ethan. They sure look like interesting watches but I doubt I'll find one in my price range.