IWC

This year at SIHH 2015, IWC is highlighting and expanding its Portugieser collection.  The 4 Portugieser watches worth highlighting are the Portugieser Annual Calendar (Ref. 5035), Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Edition "75" Anniversary" (Ref. 3972), Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days "75th Anniversary" (Ref. 5102), and the Portugieser Grande Complication (Ref. 3776).

More details in the press releases below.

Cheers,
Anthony

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2015-01-19 11:42:14 This message has been edited by Dr No on 2015-01-19 12:46:22 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2015-01-23 09:44:16

The new Portugieser Annual Calendar brings together two firsts for IWC and three masterstrokes of haute horlogerie in a single case: the newly developed annual calendar closes the gap between the perpetual calendar and the simple date display. The new IWC-manufactured 52850 calibre has two barrels that keep the new function supplied with ample energy and still has enough left for a 7-day power reserve.

 

PREMIERE OF THE IWC PORTUGIESER ANNUAL CALENDAR

 

 

IWC continues to enhance its Portugieser watch family with new, eye-catching complications. After the minute repeater(1995), the 7-day power reserve (2000), the perpetual calendar (2003), the Tourbillon Mystère (2004) and the constant-force tourbillon (2011) – to name but a few – the recent 8-day hand-wound movement (2013) consolidated the Portugieser watches’ reputation as one of the leading lights of haute horlogerie.

 

In 2015, the Year of the Portugieser, IWC’s newly developed annual calendar is another interesting additional feature to complement the perpetual calendar. The complication is powered by the new IWC-manufactured 52850 calibre. Both are found for the first time in the Portugieser Annual Calendar (Ref. 5035). The watch thus symbolizes the launch of an IWC initiative to produce further series of in-house calibre families in the years ahead.

 

Located at “12 o’clock” on the dial, IWC’s annual calendar shows the month, date and day in three separate, semicircular windows. The switching mechanism automatically takes into account the differing lengths of individual months. Unlike a perpetual calendar, however, the annual calendar is unable to factor in the differing length of the month of February or the leap years. Once a year, then, at the end of February, it requires manual correction. For the develop­ment of the annual calendar module, IWC’s watch designers ensured that the correction could be carried out easily and conveniently using the crown. Thanks to this elegant solu­tion, the engineers were able to dispense with a corrector, which would have compromised the Portugieser Annual Calendar’s purist design.

 

IN THE STYLE OF A DESIGN ICON

In order to free up as much space as possible for the date display, the designers replaced the indices from “11 o’clock” to “1 o’clock” with the three display discs. The “American” order in which the date is shown was not only necessary from a technical and design point of view, but is also a homage to F. A. Jones, IWC’s American founder. With its voluminous 44.2-millimetre case, grooved bezel, classic railway-track-style chapter ring, slim feuille hands and almost unchanged Arabic numerals, the Portugieser Annual Calendar very closely resembles the original Portu­gieser of 1939, a veritable design icon. The small seconds subdial, however, is not positioned at “6 o’clock” as in the original, but at “9 o’clock”. The subdial on the opposite side contains the power reserve display. The in-house movement with 7-day power reserve is yet another quantum leap in the history of the Portugieser family. The rare com­bination of an annual calendar and 168-hour calibre should make this latest complication from the House of IWC even more attractive for watch connoisseurs.

 

 

FASCINATING INSIGHT I NTO THE NEW IWC-MANUFACTURED MOVEMENT

The Portugieser Annual Calendar is available in 18-caratred gold (Ref. IW503504) with a silver-plated dial or in stainless steel with a silver-plated (Ref. IW503501) or mid­night blue (Ref. IW503502) dial. The fine sun-pattern finish on the blue dial reflects incident light dynamically in a myriad directions. All versions of the watch are fitted with black Santoni alligator leather straps. The arched-edge sapphire glass makes the case look slimmer and underscores the watch’s classic elegance. The curved strap horns ensure greater comfort even on slimmer wrists. The see-through sapphire-glass back provides an unimpeded view of the exquisite new IWC-manufactured 52850 calibre. Across the entire 52000-calibre family, the rotors have been made slimmer, while the bridges are more open and inset with a solid gold “Probus Scafusia” medallion. This way, even more details of the movement with its two barrels can be seen. The improved Pellaton winding system with the practically wear-free components made of black and white ceramic is also clearly visible.

 

5 YEARS IN DEVELOPMENT

Overall, it took IWC’s watch designers almost 5 years to develop the annual calendar. Whereas they had been able to draw on in-house experience when developing the perpetual calendar, this was not the case during the development of the annual calendar. The new in-house 52850 calibre is the perfect choice for the annual calendar because it has two barrels to provide the higher torque required to drive the three display discs. In addition, when fully wound, the twin barrels supply enough energy for a full week’s runtime.

 

For technology buffs, a brief explanation of the way the annual calendar functions: the hour wheel sets in motion the date advance wheel, which is equipped with two dif­ferent advance fingers. One of the fingers is responsible for the date and month displays, the other for the weekday display. Every day, towards midnight, the date is moved forward with the help of the upper advance finger. The month display and the programme wheel, which defines the lengths of the various months, are controlled by two pins on the date disc. The first of these pins advances the programme wheel by one division. A feeler on the advance lever recognizes months with 30 days by a deeper notch on the program wheel and provides more space for it to switch. The following day, the advance lever ensures that the date moves forward by 2 days. The second pin in the date disc sets the new month.

 

The 5 years’ development time for the annual calendar was worth the effort. With the Portugieser Annual Calendar, IWC Schaffhausen has given yet another demonstration of its ability to innovate, to expand its in-house watchmaking expertise, and in the process, to extend the repertoire of IWC complications by another attractive and practical additional function.

 

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

 

 

PORTUGIESER ANNUAL CALENDAR

REF. IW503501 · IW503502 · IW503504

FEATURES

Mechanical movement – Pellaton automatic winding – Power reserve display – Annual calendar with displays for the date, day and month – Small hacking seconds at 9 o’clock – Glucydur®* beryllium alloy indexless balance with high-precision adjustment screws on balance rim – Breguet spring – See-through sapphire-glass back – Rotor with 18-carat gold medallion

 

MOVEMENT

IWC-manufactured calibre 52850

Frequency 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz

Jewels 36

Power reserve 7 days (168 h)

Winding automatic

 

WATCH

Materials

Ref. IW503501 : case in stainless steel, silver-plated dial, black alligator leather strap, folding clasp in stainless steel

Ref. IW503502 : case in stainless steel, midnight blue dial, black alligator leather strap, folding clasp in stainless steel

Ref. IW503504 : case in 18-carat red gold, silver-plated dial, black alligator leather strap, folding clasp in 18-carat red gold

Glass sapphire, arched edge, antireflective coating on both sides

Water-resistant 3 bar

Diameter 44.2 mm

Case height 15.3 mm

 

* IWC Schaffhausen is not the owner of the Glucydur® trademark.

 

 

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2015-01-19 11:10:31

In 2015, the large digital date and month display becomes a dominant feature of the IWC Portugieser watch family. Limited to just 25 watches in platinum and 75 of each of the red gold editions, the new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Edition “75th Anniversary” is equipped with a wealth of sophisticated complications that are available in this combination only from IWC Schaffhausen.

 

MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE PACKED INTO 45 MILLIMETRES

 

PORTUGIESER PERPETUAL CALENDAR DIGITAL DATE-MONTH EDITION “75TH ANNIVERSARY”

 

 

The digital perpetual calendar is one of the outstand-ing technological advances made by the Schaffhausen-based watchmaking company. With the new Portugieser PerpetualCalendar Digital Date-Month Edition “75th Anniversary” (Ref. 3972), the Portugieser watch family now includes a model featuring a digital display for the date and month. This exclusive timepiece packs a wealth of IWC watchmaking expertise into its 45-millimetre case: perpetual calendar, large digital date, leap year display, chronograph with flyback function and the IWC-manufactured 89801 calibre with its quick-action switch and efficient double-pawl winding mechanism. On the occasion of its relaunch to mark the 75th anniversary of the Portu­gieser family, the watch is fitted with an arched-edge front glass and Santoni alligator leather strap and has an attractive new calibre design. The watch is limited to 25 pieces in platinum and 75 pieces each in 18-carat red gold with either a black or silver-plated dial.

 

CHANGING WAYS OF SEEING THINGS IN THE COURSE OF TIME

The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Edition “75th Anniversary” makes allowances for the differ­ent ways of seeing things that have developed over the centuries: the dial combines two striking, highly legible analogue displays (time and chronograph) with three digital ones (date, month and leap year). Today, most people prefer to read the time with the help of hands but are happyif the date is shown in figures. This was not always so, as can be demonstrated by the example of the time of day. In 1884, IWC unveiled its first Pallweber-style pocket watcheswith a jumping digital display showing the hours and min­utes. The watches were an enormous hit, but then, after just 3 years, the craze was over. When digital time displays were embraced on a massive scale with the quartz watchesof the 1970s, the watchmakers in Schaffhausen stuck to their guns and continued to use hour and minute hands. And for a good reason: on a digital display, the abstract information contained, for instance, in “11:45” first needs to be mentally processed, whereas the spatial arrangementof the hands on an analogue watch is understood quickly and intuitively. It is, simply, “quarter to twelve”.

 

DISPLAYING STOP TIMES IS UNCANNILY SIMPLE

Just how intensively the designers in Schaffhausen have thought about our habitual ways of seeing things can be seen from the chronograph display on the Portugieser PerpetualCalendar Digital Date-Month “75th Anniversary”. While considering whether there was a way to make the figures in the various subdials of a conventional chrono­graph easier to process, they hit on the idea of displaying the stopped hours and minutes in a totalizer – just like the time of day. The stopped seconds continued to be shown by the central seconds hand. From a design point of view this may seem ingeniously simple, but technically speaking it is very difficult to implement. To turn the “watch-within-a-watch” concept into reality, a team at IWC worked for 4 years on the in-house 89360-calibre chronograph move­ment with its particularly efficient double-pawl winding mechanism. In this assembly, four pawls arranged diagonally to the pawl wheel – in other words two sets of doublepawls – convey the push-and-pull motion from the rotor to the barrel. This solution eliminates dead spots during winding and boosts the system’s efficiency by a significant 30 per cent. The further-developed in-house 89801 calibre is now used in the Reference 3972. Like its predecessor, it features an integrated flyback function that enables the user to reset the running stopwatch hands to zero simply by pushing the button, and to start another timing se­quence immediately.

 

AN ENTIRE DIAL SET IN MOTION

It is said that some proud owners of an IWC timepiece equipped with the Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month movement put the complex mechanics of their watches to the test on New Year’s Eve by starting the chronograph just before midnight. Precisely at the moment that the new year begins the entire dial is set in motion: six hands advance slowly while two large display discs and a smaller one also move forward with a distinctive and (due to the commotion caused by celebrations) barely perceptible click. Despite this tour de force of precision mechanics, the interplay be­tween the complications does not affect the precision of the movement, even if there is hardly any more tension in the spring. Where does the IWC-manufactured 89801 calibre get all this power? The secret is a second source of energy, the so-called quick-action switch. Every night, when the date display moves forward, the switch siphons off a little of the energy, stores it and then discharges it precisely at the end of the month or year when, in addition to the date and month disc, the leap year disc also needs to be advanced. The perpetual calendar can be set easily using the crown. It will not require correction until 2100, a year that breaks with the conventional 4-year cycle and will not be a leap year. The see-through sapphire-glass back provides a view of the meticulously finished movement consisting of 474 individual parts. Following further development, the IWC-manufactured 89801 calibre now has a number of new features: the rotor and the inset “Probus Scafusia” medallion are now slightly more delicate in de­sign and made of solid red gold. Other new highlights in­clude the decorative blued screws, which together with the red jewels and the Geneva stripes on the plate constitute an attractive ensemble.

 

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

 

 

PORTUGIESER PERPETUAL CALENDAR DIGITAL DATE-MONTH EDITION “75TH ANNIVERSARY”

 

REF. IW397201 ?IW397202 ?IW397203

 

FEATURES

Mechanical chronograph movement – Perpetual calendar – Large, double-digit displays for the day and month – Leap year display – Stopwatch function with hours, minutes and seconds – Hour and minute counters combined in a totalizer at 12 o’clock – Flyback function – Small hacking seconds – See-through sapphire-glass back – Rotor made of 18-carat red gold – Limited edition of 25 watches in platinum and 75 watches for each of the two red gold references

 

MOVEMENT

IWC-manufactured calibre 89801

Frequency 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz

Jewels 51

Power reserve 68 h

Winding automatic

 

WATCH

Materials Ref. IW397201: case in platinum, silver-plated dial, black alligator leather strap by Santoni, folding clasp in platinum Ref. IW397202: case in 18-carat red gold, black dial, dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni, folding clasp in 18-carat red gold Ref. IW397203: case in 18-carat red gold, silver-plated dial, dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni, folding clasp in 18-carat red gold

Glass sapphire, arched edge, antireflective coating on both sides

Water-resistant 3 bar

Diameter 45 mm

Case height 16.5 mm

 

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2015-01-19 11:19:05

I think the Portugieser dial is the last one suited for the digital calendar indication.

Marcus

Those familiar with the history of IWC are most likely to associate the original Portugieser (Ref. 325) from the 1930s with its legendary black and white dial. This classic, minimalist design was one of the main reasons that the Portugieserfrom IWC Schaffhausen went on to become a true icon in the world of watchmaking. However, a number of different dial versions were also launched in the same year the watch family was founded. The new Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “75th Anniversary” (Ref. IW510205 and IW510206) is a homage to a version of the original Portugieser that until now has been fairly unknown. Fortunately, an original version of this model had remained in a private collection, and was a source of inspiration for IWC’s designers. This historic piece features all the attributes which have defined the appearance of the Portugieser to this day: Arabic numerals, slim feuille hands, railway-track-style chapter ring and small seconds at “6 o’clock”. However, the inner chapter ring, hour indices and Arabic numerals are aesthetically very prominent in gold brown with black edging. The new Reference IW510206 in 18-carat red gold with silver-plated dial has inherited the colour scheme and company logo of its forebear almost without change. Light green dial elements on the stainless-steel version (Ref. IW510205) contrast well against the matte black dial. A new feature is the date display on the subdial at “6 o’clock”: in the 21st century, that level of convenience is de rigueur in a watch.

 

* IWC Schaffhausen is not the owner of the Glucydur® trademark.

 

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY – ORIGINAL DESIGN

Out of respect for the watch’s iconic design, and in order to retain the characteristic symmetry and simplicity of the dial, the 8-day power reserve display was positioned on the side of the watch facing the movement. Just how long the watch will continue running until it needs to once more be wound by hand can be seen through the transparent sapphire-glass back. For many watch connoisseurs, this is not even necessary, because they look forward to the weekly ritual of winding the watch. IWC’s in-house 59215- calibre movement, which measures a stately 37.8 millimetresin diameter, reliably supplies the watch with energy for 8 days. Actually, it would be almost 9 days, were it not for an intelligent system that blocks the movement after the first 192 hours, or precisely 8 days. Stopping the move­ment before all the tension in the spring has been exhaust­ed eliminates the danger of diminishing torque in the main­spring. This ensures the same level of accuracy the whole time the watch is running. The Glucydur®* beryllium alloy indexless balance oscillates at a frequency of 4 hertz, or 28,800 beats per hour. Like the Breguet spring bent into shape using traditional watchmaking techniques, this also helps to make the watch extremely precise. The coved bezel, a typical design characteristic of the Portugieser line, and the arched-edge sapphire glass help to make the case appear less bulky despite its 12-millimetre height and 43-millimetre diameter.

 

The Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “75th Anniversary” will be available in a limited edition of 175 watchesin 18-carat red gold with a silver-plated dial (Ref. IW510206); the stainless-steel version with a black dial (Ref. IW510205) is limited to 750 watches. All models are fitted with exclu­sive alligator leather straps produced by Italian shoe manufacturer Santoni.

 

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

 

 

PORTUGIESER HAND-WOUND EIGHT DAYS EDITION “75TH ANNIVERSARY”

 

REF. IW510205 ? IW510206

 

FEATURES

Mechanical movement – Power reserve display on reverse side – Date display – Small hacking seconds – Glucydur®* beryllium alloy indexless balance with high-precision adjustment screws on balance rim – Breguet spring – See-through sapphire-glass back – Red gold version limited to 175 watches – Stainless-steel version limited to 750 watches

 

MOVEMENT

IWC-manufactured calibre 59215

Frequency 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz

Jewels 30

Power reserve 8 days (192 h)

Winding hand-wound

 

WATCH

Materials Ref. IW510205: case in stainless steel, black dial, black alligator leather strap by Santoni, pin buckle in stainless steel Ref. IW510206: case in 18-carat red gold, silver-plated dial, dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni, pin buckle in 18-carat red gold

Glass sapphire, arched edge, antireflective coating on both sides

Water-resistant 3 bar

Diameter 43 mm

Case height 12 mm

 

* IWC Schaffhausen is not the owner of the Glucydur® trademark.

 

 

 

 

 

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2015-01-19 11:27:49

... is not luminous paint. That would not be a logical match with the non-luminous hands.

Marcus

I'm a sucker for the Portuguese line and this one is a beauty.

I could be more happy without the date (Watch manufacturers, please notice: Date, day of the week, month and year belongs to the smartphone.) but the historical beauty of the Portuguese (why change the name to Portugieser, considering that the real name is "Português"?).

Anyway, IWC hit the mark with this one. Even with the unnecessary date, the watch is perfectly balanced. Great!

One that is missing here is the Yacht Club. For this one, IWC reduced the size to a more human 43.5mm, making is a serious candidate for me.

Now, I hope that this reducing trend is expanded to all product line.

Thanks Anthony,

Nilo

PORTUGIESER GRANDE COMPLICATION

 

REF. IW377601 ? IW377602

 

FEATURES

Mechanical chronograph movement – Perpetual calendar with displays for the date, day, month, year in four digits and perpetual moon phase – Stopwatch function with hours, minutes and seconds – Minute repeater for hours, quarters and minutes – Small hacking seconds – Special back engraving – Limited edition of 250 watches each

 

MOVEMENT

Calibre 79091

Frequency 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz

Jewels 75

Power reserve 44 h

Winding automatic

 

WATCH

Materials Ref. IW377601: case in platinum, silver-plated dial, black alligator leather strap by Santoni with stitching and folding clasp in platinum Ref. IW377602: case in 18-carat red gold, silver-plated dial, dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni with stitching and folding clasp in 18-carat red gold

Glass sapphire, arched edge, antireflective coating on both sides

Water-resistant 3 bar

Diameter 45 mm

Case height 16.5 mm

... since the original Grande Complication was presented in 1990. Pity that this jubilee is not mentioned anywhere. IN my opinion, this is by far the most beautiful and interesting pieces of the new Portugieser series, and much more attractive than the original.

Already in 1990 there were discussions about the justifiction of calling a watch without tourbillon and rattrapante a "grande complication". However, this does not diminish the quality of this complicated watch. Only the price, I fear, will make another huge leap from the already excessive level reached by its predecessor.

Marcus

What 75th Anniversary is IWC celebrating? If this is a reference to the 325 (which was never called a "Portugieser"-that comes in 1993 with the Jubilee watch, r. 5441), this watch was first sold in Portugal in 1939. Last year would have been 75 years.

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