Wristwatch, IWC Grande Complication, platinum, 1991

Model: Grande Complication Reference: 3770 Case Material: Platinum Bracelet Material: Leather strap Year: Circa 1991 Movement: Automatic, cal. 79091, 65 jewels Case N°: N°05/50, 2'552'005 Movement N°: 2'435'070 Dimensions: 42mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement Accessories: Accompanied by IWC Certificate of Origin, booklet and fitted presentation box.

The story of the IWC Grande Complication began in 1985, with the ambition to create the Manufacture’s first grande complication wristwatch and one of the most complicated timepieces of its era. A true horological tour de force, the project was developed over five years by a team of highly skilled watchmakers and engineers, including the young Dominique Renaud and Giulio Papi, who would later become prominent figures in modern watchmaking.

The resulting timepiece comprised 659 mechanical components and incorporated 21 functions, including a perpetual calendar, moon phases, chronograph and minute repeater, together with indications for the day, date, month, year, decade, century and millennium. The minute repeater was particularly innovative, with the sapphire crystal suspended on a platinum membrane to enhance the resonance of the gongs. Twelve patents were obtained before the watch was unveiled at the Basel Fair in 1990. The present reference 3770, produced in a limited edition of only 50 pieces, is housed in a 42.5 mm platinum case and powered by an automatic movement. Offered with its original box, it represents a remarkable chapter in IWC’s history and in the revival of high-end mechanical watchmaking during the quartz era.