*Unpolished* 1990s IWC Mark XII (Ref. 3241) W/ Box & Papers

The Mk XI was a watch born out of rigorous specifications and necessity. After the issuance of the famed “Dirty Dozen” timepieces, the British Ministry of Defense came to the conclusion that these watches just weren’t accurate or durable enough for their pilots. So in 1947, the British MOD created the 6B/346 navigation watch standard specifications which became known as Mk XI. Both IWC and JLC produced watches under the 6B/346 specification. The JLC Mk. XI was discontinued in 1953 and IWC then became the sole supplier, outfitting RAF Pilot’s until the watches were decommissioned in 1981.

The next "Mark" created by IWC for their proffesional pilot's watch line would be in 1993, 12 years after the Mk XI was discountinued, with the introduction of the Mark XII under the reference number 3241. A civilian model that drew most of its insperation from its predecessor though with some integral upgrades that brought the watch into the modern era. Though the dial format remains mostly the same between the two models, the ref. 3241 features the modern IWC logo along with a date window at the 3 o'clock through the help of the in-house cal. 884 automatic "quick-set" date movement. Further improvements on the overall design of the Mark XII include a farade movement cover to repel magnetism, a screw-down winding crown for improved water resistance, and a sapphire  cystal to improve duribility.  

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