HSTE
[Omega Moderator]
4549
One of the "patent-queens" in watchmaking: the cute little IWC Porsche Design Compass ref. 3510 in all alloy
This watch needed to have an a-magnetic (automatic) movement in order not to distract the built-in compass (back then: the flattest compass in the world and the first "maintenance free" compass in the world). So the bearing balls for the automatic movements were for example replaced from steel to ruby little brearing balls.
The case and bracelet were from alloy. The problem was that it turned out that the color (black or olive) flaked off very easily from the alloy. Which is why the bracelet was very early on replaced by a delrin (plastic) bracelet. It is literally impossible to find a "all aluminum, olive, un-flaked" IWC compass watch these days.
The compass could be removed (to put on the map). The links of the bracelet are each exactly 5mm and serve as measurement stick on the map.
All of this was back in 1978.
Cheers, HSTE
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One of the "patent-queens" in watchmaking: the cute little IWC Porsche Design Compass ref. 3510 in all alloy
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