BOAC
Mark XI 6B/346 — BOAC
Bought by the British Overseas Airways Corporation for astro-navigation on long-haul flights. No military markings: the caseback reads “B.O.A.C. PROPERTY” with the movement number.
At least 7,400 IWC watches for the RAF; IWC records identify more than 8,000 military movement numbers, with about 600 more thought to await confirmation (Horological Journal 2004).
Identifying details
- Soft-iron inner case
Soft-iron inner case and dial forming a cage that shields the movement from magnetic fields.
- B.O.A.C. property marking
Caseback marked as property of the British Overseas Airways Corporation.
Variants of 6B/346
Reference overview →| Variant | Production |
|---|---|
| RAF, White 12 Dial | 1949–1952 |
| RAF, Triangle Dial Without T | 1952–1963 |
| RAF, Encircled T Dial | 1963–? |
| RAF, Encircled T Dial · Encircled T, Hooked 7 | Undated |
Case & movement
- Reference
- 6B/346
- Production
- Undated
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case diameter
- 36 mm
- Crystal
- Acrylic, held by a screwed retaining ring
- Movement
- Manual winding
- Date
- No
- Caliber
- IWC 89
Dial, bezel & hands
Unknown attributes are left out rather than guessed.
Movement
IWC 89
Albert Pellaton’s hand-wound centre-seconds calibre with indirect seconds drive and a Breguet hairspring. The Mark XI version stops the seconds for synchronisation. Early batches had no shock protection; later ones were fitted with Incabloc.
Manual winding · Introduced 1946 · 18,000 vph · 17 jewels