The story of the Portugieser begins in the 30s, when two Portuguese merchants headed to Switzerland to place an order with the International Watch Co. for bracelet-watches as precise as a marine chronometer. In those days, the Schaffausen manufacturer could only carry out this request if they used a voluminous yet resistant pocket watch movement. And so IWC introduced a round 43mm oversized casing in the midst of the Art Deco era, when timepieces were presented in minuscule and minimalist casings. In 1939, IWC made waves in the watchmaking universe by releasing the Portuguese. “Today, we’re measuring the masterstroke that the IWC watchmakers in those days created by elaborating the Portugieser’s dial and casing; the design that they then conceived is now appreciated at its appropriate value,” explains Christian Knoop, creative director for the manufacturer. The Portuguese was indeed at the origin of contemporary watchmaking’s fixation for large bracelet-watches.
And this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Portugieser. The manufacturer is therefore making a stopover at Baselworld 2015 to launch a new collection. Integrating new technical and aesthetic characteristics, four styles from the Portugieser collection now sport a 52000 caliber. Moreover, one of the key pieces of its composition resides in the annual calendar function: anchored in the dial, it indicates the month, the date, and the day of the week within three semi-circular windows. The Portuguese espouses technical progress, but its design remains loyal to the original 1939 model. The grooved bezel, thin-leaf hands, and Arab numerals are all still present and accounted for. And just for the occasion, IWC is releasing red gold and platinum versions in a limited edition of 250 copies.
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