I just happened upon a slightly damaged ultra thin movement the other day. It has a metal dial with the name "Peerless" on the dial and movement. The movement also says "Swiss made, 17 jewels, Adjusted to 3 positions and the serial number 864564. It is also a winds at 12o'clock. After searching around on the net for a peerless watch company, I removed the dial and found the IWC stamp on the front plate! The stamp is the round variety with "Probus Scafusia" around the IWC text. So my question is, what exactly do I have! Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Orion P. Young

Hi Orion,

IWC made the Peerless movement for Stauffer Son & Co in London, so you may find an oval shield somewhere enclosing a crown with the letters 'S &Co' under the crown.
I believe they're a sort of 2nd grade watch to a 'straight' IWC movement.
Beware also that there are a lot of fakes of these!

Does your watch have 'screwed in' chatons containing the train jewels?

I have 2x movements here, both Peerless - S&Co, but no IWC stamp, so you're fortunate to find that stamp on your watch.

Try these IWC related links:

http://www.gregsteer.net/IWC/Stauffer/Stauffer.html

http://www.goerter.de/IWCFORUM/COLLECTING%20IWC%20WATCHES_EN.pdf

https://www.iwc.com/index-en.asp

Hope this helps!

John

Thanks John.
So, this might actually be a decent movement? I was confused that I had to search to find the IWC logo. Does that mean this is a lower grade IWC? I'll have to borrow a camera and and some pictures up.

Hi Orion,

You need to look closely under the balance wheel rim to see if 'Peerless' is stamped there, I had to take out the balance to photgraph the mark as it couldn't be seen otherwise.

If your watch has IWC stamped on the plates, then it is IWC! They are decent movements either way!
The dial stating peerless was probably done for the S&Co Company and retailer in London.

Peerless watches are still IWC manufacture, but branded differently.

John

So upon further examination the movement has the S&Co logo next to the regulator but as far as I can tell no peerless stamped under the balance wheel. The heavy damaskeening on the watch is making it difficult to look for anything! Now, the slight damage mentioned earlier is in fact two rusted case screws! Not just rusted on the top but all the way through! i can only get the regulator and balance assembly out of the movement, otherwise these screws block further disassembly! I was going to attempt a alum/water paste to apply directly to the screw heads and pay close attention to stop it from effecting any other part of the movement. But I am not sure what the plates are made of and how they will be effected by my high alum mixture? Any ideas?

Orion P. Young

P.S. Wish a I had a camera, then this could be a lot easier!

As far as I'm aware, the plates will be nickel or silver plated brass, so you'll probably be ok with alum.
If you can erode the screw heads enough to get the bridges / plates off, it should leave enough of the screw shanks remaining to grip with a small pin vice etc.

Failing that, you may have to use an old watchmaker's tip and punch the screws through using a staking tool and retap the threads!

I'd use that method as a last resort, although you may have to do that anyway if the screws break off level with the plate!!

John

Then here I go! I'm a bit bogged down right no, my van was just titled a death trap. So when I get the time I will attempt to use the alum to get those nasty screws out! I'll post results when... I have results!

Orion P. Young