IWC da vinci ref.3750-33 in steel, black dial steel bracelet

The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. IW3750-33 is the Italian-market steel configuration of one of the defining mechanical watches of the 1980s. It combines a polished 39 mm stainless steel case, articulated lugs, black dial, Italian calendar displays, and the original IWC stainless steel bracelet. The dial presents the full perpetual calendar in a remarkably orderly format, with day, date, month, four-digit year, moon phase, and chronograph indications integrated into three main registers. This particular example bears the numbered No. 33 1979 Da Vinci engraving on its closed caseback, linking the watch directly to its special Italian-market series.

Key Specifications

Collector's Note

Introduced in 1985, the Da Vinci Ref. 3750 brought Kurt Klaus's perpetual calendar to the wrist at a pivotal moment for mechanical watchmaking. IWC states that the calendar module is made from 82 individual components and was conceived as a compact, practical system rather than a display of complexity for its own sake. A single nightly switching impulse coordinates the indications, allowing the date, day, month, year, and moon phase to remain perfectly synchronized. Crucially, all calendar displays can be advanced together through the crown, a major improvement over the multiple recessed correctors common to perpetual calendars of the era.

This is a true perpetual calendar, automatically recognizing the different lengths of the months and leap years. Its four-digit year display can extend to 2499, but this must not be confused with autonomous operation until that date. The Gregorian calendar omits the leap day in century years not divisible by 400, so the mechanism requires a one-day manual correction in 2100, and again in 2200 and 2300. For this original generation, the moon phase display is calibrated to deviate by only one day after 122 years. The steel case, Italian-language calendar, black dial, numbered Italian-series back, and matching IWC bracelet make this a particularly distinctive expression of the early Da Vinci concept.

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