IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar GPHG 2024

IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701) has been awarded the “Aiguille d’Or”. Since Kurt Klaus created his ingenious perpetual calendar in the 1980s, IWC has acquired unique expertise in the field of mechanical calendars. With its first secular perpetual calendar, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer now once again pushes the boundaries of engineering with a mechanical programme that covers extreme dimensions of time, touching the limits of eternity.

The Portugieser Calendar is based on the same modular and synchronised design as the perpetual calendar, meaning that all its displays can be advanced simply by using the crown. However, while the perpetual calendar is programmed for a four-year cycle with three regular years followed by a leap year, the Portugieser Eternal Calendar accounts for the Gregorian calendar’s leap year exceptions by skipping three leap years over a period of 400 years. This means it will calculate the leap year correctly until at least the year 3999. No official decision has been taken yet as to whether the year 4000 will be a leap year or not. The Portugieser Eternal Calendar also features a moon phase display with unprecedented precision. Thanks to the newly developed reduction gear train with three intermediate wheels, the Double Moon™ phase display will theoretically only deviate from the moon’s orbit by one day after a world-record-breaking 45,361,055 years. The Portugieser Eternal Calendar features an elaborately finished platinum case. Box-glass sapphire crystals on the front and the back beautifully showcase the transparent glass dial and the IWC-manufactured 52640 calibre inside.

IWC was also nominated by the GPHG in three categories. The Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701) was nominated in the “Calendar & Astronomy” category, the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team (Ref. IW388306) in the “Sports” category and the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler (Ref. IW329901) in the “Iconic” category.