Vintage IWC R802A watch Turler International Watch Co. Schaffhausen Pellaton Cal. 854B Serviced

SPECIFICATION

Reference: IWC R802A
Movement: Automatic Cal 854B
Age: circa 1967
Case Size: 35mm
Case Thickness: 10mm
Lug to Lug: 42mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: used IWC watch
Box & Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Warranty: 12-Months Warranty

POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition, with light wear from use
• Case and bezel have light scratches and marks
• Co-signed Turler dial
• Sunburst dial
• Fully serviced Pellaton movement
  
• Paired with an unworn black  leather strap
• Original worn IWC strap and buckle included

IWC R802A

The IWC reference R802A is a relatively uncommon dress watch produced during the late 1960s, representing a period when the Schaffhausen manufacturer was at the height of its mechanical innovation. While it is less widely recognised than models such as the Ingenieur or Yacht Club, the R802A is prized by collectors for its understated styling and the exceptional movement hidden beneath its dial. Its clean, elegant design perfectly captures IWC's philosophy of combining refined aesthetics with uncompromising engineering.

At the heart of the watch is the legendary IWC Calibre 854B, one of the finest automatic movements the brand ever produced. Part of the celebrated 85-series, the 854B is renowned for its outstanding reliability, robust construction, and smooth operation. Operating at 19,800 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of approximately 44 hours, it was built to an exceptionally high standard and remains highly regarded by watchmakers and collectors alike.

One of the defining features of the Calibre 854B is IWC's ingenious Pellaton automatic winding system, developed by technical director Albert Pellaton. Rather than relying on conventional reversing wheels, the movement uses a pair of pivoting pawls to efficiently convert the rotor's motion into winding energy. The design proved remarkably durable and effective, becoming one of IWC's most significant technical achievements and forming the foundation for many of the brand's later automatic movements.

Despite never receiving widespread chronometer certification, the Calibre 854B was manufactured to incredibly precise tolerances and is capable of excellent timekeeping when properly serviced and adjusted. Its reputation for longevity is one of the reasons why the 85-series movements continue to be held in such high esteem more than half a century after their introduction.

Today, the R802A is appreciated for its rarity, timeless proportions, and exceptional movement. Often overlooked in favour of more familiar vintage IWC references, it offers collectors the opportunity to own a watch powered by one of the most celebrated automatic calibres of the twentieth century. Combining discreet elegance with genuine horological significance, the R802A remains a superb example of IWC's golden era of mechanical watchmaking.

Turler Co-SIGNED DIAL

Very occasionally during the 1960s and 1970s brands like Omega and Rolex allowed the retailer they distributed to co-sign their watches, often during the production or at factory depending on where batches were sold. In this case we have a special example of an IWC, featuring a signed "Turler" dial.

In 1883, Türler brothers founded the watch manufacturer Türler. Based in the town of Biel/Bienne in Switzerland. Turler opened its first store in 1907 and has established itself as a prominent jeweller and watch retailer. Today Turler still runs, but from Zurich, Switzerland

This extra detail makes this watch a little bit more special, and it also reflects the history of the brand and quality of the company.

THE PELLATON MOVEMENT

An automatic watch keeps running only because of the movements of the wearer’s arm. For 60 years now, the power driving IWC’s automatic in-house movements has come from the pawl-winding system developed by Albert Pellaton and improved continuously ever since. In an automatic watch, the rotor converts kinetic energy into potential energy for the spring,

At IWC, the automatic system is inseparably linked with Albert Pellaton, he was appointed Technical Director to the Schaffhausen-based company in 1944 and made the development of an efficient automatic winding system his top priority. From a design point of view, the difficulty lay in converting the rotor’s bidirectional movements into a unidirectional winding motion that would put the mainspring under tension. Most systems back then either diverted the rotor’s movements to a complicated transmission or used only rotations in only one direction to wind the movement. This resulted in considerable power and energy loss.

Pellaton hit upon a surprising solution, instead of putting a ball bearing or cog at the centre of the rotor, he used a heart-shaped, eccentrically bearing-mounted disc. The latter converts the rotor’s revolutions into the to-and-fro movements of a rocking bar. The bar’s rocking movements are then transmitted to the winding wheel by two pawls: while one of them pulls the wheel (i.e. winds it), the other glides smoothly over the top of it until the roles are reversed. The mechanism patented in 1950 is unusually efficient. The rotor’s smallest movement in either direction is used to wind the mainspring

OUR THOUGHTS

The R802A is appreciated for its rarity, timeless proportions, and exceptional movement. Often overlooked in favour of more familiar vintage IWC references, it offers collectors the opportunity to own a watch powered by one of the most celebrated automatic calibres of the twentieth century. Combining discreet elegance with genuine horological significance, the R802A remains a superb example of IWC's golden era of mechanical watchmaking.