IWC Yacht Club ref 2611 in steel, sold in 1978, like new, full set
Maker: IWC (International Watch Co.)
Model: Yacht Club
Reference: 2611 Year: June 1978 Material: Steel Dimensions: 36mm diameter; 10.2mm thickness Dial: Silver radial dial
Crystal: Plexiglass Lume: None Caliber: IWC manual wind caliber 89 Service history: May 2021, movement running at +7.9 sec/day Bracelet/Strap: original stainless steel Gey Freres bracelet Lug Width: 18mm Box/Papers: full set including original IWC box, guarantee holder, certificate of guarantee, IWC polish cloth, and other papers
Unveiled at the 1967 Basel Fair, the IWC Yacht Club was designed as an all-weather sports watch, built to perform in diverse environments—including, naturally, on a yacht. This model marked a shift from IWC's previous focus on military watches of the post-WWII era and from the Aquatimer, its first dive watch, which also debuted in 1967.
The "Yacht Club" name aptly reflected IWC's intended setting for this watch. Alongside it, IWC introduced an entire “Club” series for various sports, including the Golf Club and Polo Club, each designed for specific pursuits. These models, with integrated bracelets, anticipated the later IWC Ingenieur SL by Gerald Genta. Yet, it was the Yacht Club that found enduring popularity, particularly in Japan during the country’s economic boom of the 1970s, where an emerging upper-middle class embraced luxury Swiss timepieces. By the early '70s, IWC ranked as Japan's third most popular imported watch brand by value, following only Omega and Rolex.
This specific Yacht Club, however, is a rare reference 2611—a manual-wind, no-date model equipped with a Gey Freres bracelet. Unlike most Yacht Club watches, which used Albert Pellaton's renowned automatic winding system and has a date window, the 2611 is powered by IWC's celebrated caliber 89, a highly regarded manual-wind movement produced from 1946 to 1979 and renowned for its reliability. The absence of a date window and the thin case due to the manual wind movement, enhances the 2611’s streamlined aesthetic, setting it apart from other Yacht Club models. Remarkably, this piece is in near new old stock condition and comes as a full set with its original box, papers, and paper forms from the esteemed Wako store under the Seiko tower in Tokyo’s Ginza district—a rare, time-capsule offering that would captivate any serious IWC collector.
This vintage IWC Yacht Club is in near mint condition. The watch was sourced from the original owner who rarely wore the watch and kept everything when the watch was purchased in Tokyo back in 1978. The stainless steel case retains its sharp edge and is thick overall. The silver radial dial is in excellent condition and has no imperfections or blemishes. The original hands, hour, and minute markers, shows some aging, consistent with the age of this watch, and is in overall great condition. The inner caseback have clear engravings of its serial number which is matching with the certificate of guarantee. The beautiful caliber 89 manual wind movement was last serviced in ay 2021 and is currently running at +7.9 seconds/day. The watch comes with its original steel Gey Freres bracelet which is in near flawless condition with no noticeable scratches and limited stretch. The watch comes as a full set with its original IWC box, guarantee holder, certificate of guarantee, IWC polish cloth, and other papers from the Wako department store where it was originally purchased from. Ships from Japan
