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@inversepanda

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Old name, new acct
Vintage trainspotter

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Overheard that there’s an “integrated watch fatigue”… is bracelet season officially over? 😬⚙️🔨 taken in Metal Frenzy Festival by @inversepanda

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3 years ago

King Panda and the Evil BearCats 🤘🏼🎸 taken in Pandamonium Vintage by @inversepanda

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2 years ago

Gay Fréres never made a gold double grain, so had one commission plated on a vintage alternative for the Heuer 2448N (with Gerd-Rüdiger Lang provenance) taken in Double Down Band by @inversepanda

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3 days ago

Picked up my WindTona loooong time ago. Grats on the new Talking Watches my horological homies, bringing back some great vintage content finally 🤓🥂Looking forward to the book release! taken in Panda House by @inversepanda

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4 days ago

1945 Doxa Val.22 Spillman Chronograph with 2-tone blue-snail dial on stretch GF bracelet.

Check how it changes shade 👈🏼👉🏼🌀 by @inversepanda

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11 days ago

#FindMeAnother - 1994 IWC 18k Gold Mark XII with early / Japanese LE single-line “Automatic” only dial. taken in Rare Air Club by @inversepanda

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18 days ago

Another unsung vintage IWC - 35mm Cal.88 Calatrava “Small Portuguese” from 1951, with caseback inscription to celebrate 25yrs of a Georg Fischer Schaffhausen employee. Surprisingly hard to find in good original condition 🔍 taken in Bring it Back Vintage by @inversepanda

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25 days ago

Continuing the overlooked but still interesting IWC theme - IWC Cal.88 geometric calatrava taken in Fish & Crown Creative by @inversepanda

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a month ago

2001 IWC Mark XV “2nd Execution” Ref. 3253

This is my Vanilla Sky.

I honestly didn’t cared when I first saw the movie. Yet, others smarter clocked what that handsome piece was, with which checks the daily-essential boxes of “what do I really need / what else can I remove” conundrum.

Highly legible white print over ink black matte dial, unpretentious sylphlike steel case, vital date function with balanced placement (all later Marks fail at this), durable upgraded ETA, sufficient 60m WR, relative availability, versatile size and GADA compatibility.

Question is, why specifically “second execution”?

First, let’s differentiate the versions. There’s three - easiest tell is checking the “Swiss Made” at 6 o’clock:
•1st exec: Flanked with “T” bookends for tritium [the T’s line up with the minute hashmarks, brilliant]. Notably, tritium was only used on the M/H hands. There’s examples where cardinal markers have yellow patina (either all or oddly only “3”), it’s not consistent enough if this was original or fudged with.
•2nd exec: Changed from tritium to luminova, with a blank space residing where T’s used to be.
•3rd exec: Filled the void with actual hash (plus added AR coating on the crystal from factory; HQ serviced may add also).

Fun fact: Vanilla Sky used 1st exec with 19/18mm OEM buffalo strap on a deployant.

Movement: all used heavily reworked, 5 position adjusted ETA 2892-A2. Earlier versions as “37524” (21 jewel, gold-plated), later “30110” (23 jewel, nickel-plated); the switchover happened around 2003. Apparently IWC also used weaker mainsprings than ETA to allow less abrasion in the going train for longevity.

[Side note: after 2008, ETA no longer shipped disassembled movements, thus making IWC’s stringent engraving, decorating, finishing, and assembly thing of the past]

During its production of 1999~2005 - the 38 x 10.5 x 47mm case, fish crown, & air-pressure secure sapphire blueprint remained the same. The XV sold on black or brown straps (19-18mm for a short period, then all 19-16mm; XL, S, XS sizes available) with either deployant or tang signed buckle. Alternatively, bracelets did follow the version arc loosely:
•Version 1: “11-row mesh,” sim taken in Inner Circle by @inversepanda

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a month ago

Untouched 1967 IWC 812AD AquaTimer Mark 1 with gilt dial taken in The Deep End Club by @inversepanda

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2 months ago

I’d like to categorically blame… I mean, shout-out the following for coalescing this hefty, dense "biscuit" onto the wrist seen here, in no particular order.

@casa_vintaj for the IndyJones treasure map (027x marks the spot), @langepedia & @hairspring / @mrbwatches for the Q-Branch level classified intel, @sunsetwristshots & @ciaociaochau & @ariampudia for the addiction anonymous enablement support group, @some_watch_guy for the Mission Impossible, and finally @jc40789 for pushing me off the ledge with a screw-pin springbar with blue goo on it. If I missed anyone else, no official apology will be issued, but a gratitude IOU may or may not make its way.

So many Lange 1’s, why this one?

Early 4-digit movement suggests 1997 production, all black print index/markers, Mugatu defying blued steel hands, small MiG & floating islands, aged German silver movement, vibrant 30yrs old 90’s gold… without the lofty steel price tag. Tons of value prop, even in ALS. Purists may frown upon non-matching date window frame; those who get me know I actually prefer the cleaner execution that disappears into the satin silver dial (which turns champagne at certain angles). Sans-appliqué furniture mean as sleek and sporty as a dress piece gets.

The romance of deep-rich golden case softly juxtapose the precisely austere golden-ratio dial design. In the original case color introduced on the 4 models on Oct 24, 1994.

If you’ve read this far down and still wondering, it’s a see-thru. Sapphire crystal is significantly lighter than the higher density of closed full gold. L1s are already top heavy so any diet not ozempified is welcomed☝🏼

‘97 Lange 1 Ref. 101.022 YG “Print Index” taken in Teamwork Hospitality by @inversepanda

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2 months ago

Haven’t worn this in a while taken in Old Love by @inversepanda

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2 months ago