Ultra Rare Aventurine Green IWC 1811 Yacht Club

If you’re going green dial, why not go green dial from well before it was cool? The 1811 Yacht Club was introduced in the late 60s to be a casual yet luxurious mildly-water resistant steel offering. Its design brief was one well ahead of its time, front-running integrated sports watches and the even the 1680 date Submariner. Yacht Club was truly an accurate name for the resulting design, which was effortlessly cool in a way that not may date-divers have been since.

IWC does not provide extracts of archive for their vintage models. However, I have only seen this watch at auction twice. Moreover, the second auction disclosed that it had been the same exact watch which sold on both hammers. I do not know if this is in indeed that same example, however in either case this is an extremely rare dial variant—possibly piece unique. The aventurine texturized shade is said to have been a design experiment from IWC’s supplier and made in just a handful of pieces. This is one other known piece in a texturized blue. The pattern is almost like a Florentine metal pattern, but in shades of green. Truly incredible.

As if more intrigue were needed, the reference shows an attention to detail above and beyond most modern watchmakers: its date wheel is matched in color and texture. Imagine that. Its steel case is 36.5mm, a size most collectors would call a sweet spot. It is powered by the robust IWC calibre 8542, the same used in the 812 Aquatimer with the renown Pellaton winding system. That is the same movement used in the Ingenieur models of the era. This is truly an irresistible and not (yet) insane priced proposition for the well-heeled green dial fans among us.

This example sports a perfect patina, precisely what one would hope for. The case is sharp, but with a light surface wear on its highly polished surfaces. The original fish crown, bracelet, and clasp are still present. The all important rare dial is very well-preserved, with not a thing out of place or corroded. It comes recently serviced from a well-regarded retailer.

Find this Green 1811 here from Xupes for 16000 GBP.