349 - IWC - Ernst Fuchs Scarabaeus

IWC - Ernst Fuchs Scarabaeus A rare and heavy, limited-edition Schaffhausen hunting-case pocket watch, "Scarabaeus-Fuchs"; case decoration based on designs by the famous artist Prof. Ernst Fuchs of Vienna Movm. No. 2358535, Ref. 5420, Cal. 982F, Case No. 2300464, Dimensions 56 mm, circa 1982, Limited to 64/2500, Weight 183 g, Origin: Switzerland, Original box, Original certificate, Accessories, original gold clasp Case: 18K gold, inner lid with engraving and dedication inscription “Zum Antritt eines anspruchvollen Erbes 1.2.1982 Vater” (On taking up a demanding legacy, February 1, 1982, Father), glazed movement. Dial: Gold-plated. Movement: Bridge movement, elaborately engraved, lever escapement, Glucydur screw balance. The front of the case features a swirling pattern symbolizing day and sunlight; at the center sits a scarab beetle, a creature of the day that faces the sun (“The scarab beetle has the iridescent colors of a rainbow. It reveals the spectral composition of sunlight,” Prof. Fuchs). The back is decorated with a central embossed face surrounded by stylized stars, symbolizing night (“The reverse side is the opposite of the scarab: the night. It is the light of the stars and the reflected light of the moon, of the dead stars,” Prof. Fuchs). The dial features a carved depiction of the sun framed by a chapter ring with engraved Arabic numerals. The exquisite movement features elaborately hand-engraved gilded bridges decorated with swirls. Ernst Fuchs (1930–2015) was an Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, architect, stage designer, composer, poet, singer, and one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. Case: very good. Dial: very good. Movement: very good, in working order, cleaning recommended.