IWC Schaffhausen, or International Watch Company, was founded in 1868 by American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones. His vision was an unusual one for the time: to combine American-style industrial production with the renowned craftsmanship of Swiss watchmaking. Rather than settling in the traditional watchmaking centres of the French-speaking Swiss Jura, Jones chose the German-speaking town of Schaffhausen, where the hydropower of the Rhine could help drive his ambitious new manufacture.

More than 150 years later, that engineering-minded spirit is still very much part of IWC. Today part of the Richemont Group, the manufacture remains known for robust, highly legible watches and a distinctly technical approach to watchmaking.

This particular Ref. R810A comes in a lovely 34mm stainless steel case, with elegant lugs and a classic press-in caseback. It is a wonderfully wearable size, giving the watch plenty of vintage presence without feeling oversized.

And then there is that little detail we always enjoy finding: a Portuguese import marking on the upper left lug.

For much of the 20th century, watches entering Portugal from abroad were subject to customs duties and taxation and had to pass through the Portuguese customs and assay system. The resulting punção was a small official punch applied to qualifying watches. Collectors sometimes refer to these as “Salazar marks”, although Portuguese import or Contrastaria mark is the more accurate description.

The reason is beautifully simple: Switzerland and Portugal were separate customs territories, meaning that a Swiss-made IWC arriving in Portugal was a foreign import and therefore had to pass through the Portuguese system. So that tiny mark on the lug is more than just an unusual case detail — it is a little piece of the watch's journey.

The silver dial is particularly charming, finished with a beautiful vertical brushing that catches the light in a wonderfully subtle way. An applied IWC logo, fine black printing and elegant hour markers keep things crisp and understated, while the date aperture sits neatly at 3 o’clock. The distinctive semi-sword hands retain their original cream-coloured tritium lume, adding just the right amount of warmth.

Inside beats IWC's automatic calibre 854/8541, part of one of the manufacture's most important automatic movement families and a fine example of the robust engineering for which Schaffhausen became known. The movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker, and the watch is fitted with a generic leather strap with an original IWC pin buckle fitted.

A charming and understated vintage IWC, with a beautifully detailed dial, a wonderfully wearable 34mm case and, best of all, that little Portuguese mark quietly telling us where this particular Schaffhausen creation once travelled.

A charming vintage IWC with a story that travels well beyond Schaffhausen. The Portuguese import mark is the little detail that makes this one extra special. If you like your vintage watches with character and a bit of history, this one deserves a closer look.

Specifications:

IWC Automatic Dresswatch reference R810A
34 mm steel case , fish signed crown
Silver vertical brushed dial , date function
Case no 184xxxx / movement no 188xxxx dating to second half of the 1960’s
Leather strap with IWC buckle fitted
automatic movement cal. 854/8541
Fully serviced by our watchmaker
One-year mechanical warranty
Free worldwide FedEx Priority shipping

IWC Automatic Dresswatch Silver dial ref R810A

IWC Automatic Dresswatch Silver dial ref R810A

Before/after