Simple. Refined. Understated.

When choosing a good dress watch, one should be conscious of its role: A dress watch should not leap from the wrist, declaring its presence to onlookers. It should be a subtle companion that accents the wearer and his outfit. In its purest form, a dress watch should be simple and clean, without the noise of chronograph or other functions.

While the International Watch Company is often associated with their lovely Portuguese chronographs, sturdy Aquatimer divers, Big Pilot aviators, or their 70's inspired Ingenieur SLs, it has also been a longstanding manufacture of some of the most beautiful and simple dress watches. With a simple, circular stainless steel case, this IWC Schaffhausen is pretty much the perfect dress watch — we might even argue a perfect everyday watch.

As with many of IWC's watches, the true beauty of the timepiece is on the inside. In this case, the 21-jewel Calibre 8531 automatic movement is a true workhorse (a movement that made its way inside many of the IWC Ingenieurs of the era) coming in at just under 9mm in thickness, making this an extremely comfortable and versatile wear.

This particular piece dates back to the 1960s and features a 35mm stainless steel case with a domed acrylic crystal, ‘holey’ lugs and a correct ‘IWC fish’ signed crown. Perfectly accented by a rare, matte black ‘Pie Pan’ dial, this exceptional piece features a matching ‘dauphine’ handset; applied, polished indices; date indicator at 3 o’clock accompanied by an integrated magnifier, ‘dot’ minute track and the oh-so-charming International Watch Co. signature.

For the bracelet aficionados, this vintage IWC features a multi-link Gay Freres bracelet with an IWC signed locking clasp.

Heavenly.

With the added benefit of a date function, this piece would make an extraordinary everyday dress or business piece. Whatever the use, there is no denying that this IWC's classic stylings and robust movement make it a lovely and desirable timepiece to own.