If you’ve been orbiting through the same collections of watches looking for that perfect addition to fill that something missing in your arsenal, stop your search. Swiss brand International Watch Company, known more appropriately to wearers and collectors as IWC Schaffhausen, has a heavenly lineup at this year’s Watches and Wonders you’ve been waiting an eternity for. If unmatched caliber and exceptional craftsmanship — along with a touch of planetary elements — are a few things you look for in a luxury watch, the Portugieser Collection from IWC is the right fit for your wrist.
The IWC Portugieser collection
The collection throws it back to the Portugieser of the 1930s, where the design got its first inspiration from those gorgeous navigational watches on the deck of a ship. Keep that nautical theme in your head because each piece in the collection has celestial details as the star.
There isn’t enough time to get into every nook about the entire collection, so we’ll hit highlights. It consists of redesigned, re-engineered, and reimagined versions of IWC watches of the past, with the theme “A Tribute to Eternity” front and center. Think sunny skies, dark nights, and a whole lot of sleek attributes to catch your eye.
Portugieser Automatic 40
This watch now offers a slimmer case and double box-glass sapphire crystals. It’s powered by the IWC-manufactured 82200 calibre with Pellaton winding, and features ceramic components and 60 hours of power. There are two new versions: an 18-carat white gold or 18-carat 5N gold with either a Horizon Blue or Obsidian dial.
Portugieser Automatic 42
The new Portugieser Automatic 42 has a new case construction—it has a slimmer casing ring and double box-glass sapphire crystals. With the IWC-manufactured 520111 calibre with Pellaton winding and ceramic components, the watch has a 7-day power reserve. There are six new versions in 18-carat white gold, 18-carat 5N gold or stainless steel.
Portugieser Eternal Calendar
According to the company, this watch recognizes the varying lengths of different months and even adds a leap day every four years at the end of February. It goes one step further than a Perpetual Calendar watch (which is programmed on a four-year cycle). Its 400-year gear means that it syncs with the Gregorian calendar’s leap year exceptions, skipping three leap years over 400 years. Theoretically, this watch will remain accurate for your grandchildren’s grandchildren (and beyond).
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
There’s a totally new case construction on the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44, featuring (you guessed it) a slimmer casing ring. The intricate dials and IWC-manufactured 52616 calibre are highlights thanks t box-shaped glasses on the front and back. It has a seven-day power reserve. There are four versions in 18-carat white gold or 18-carat Armor Gold.
Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night
Inspired in part by a former IWC apprentice watchmaker, this watch has a flying minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock, as well as a day and night indication with a small globe (it rotates around its axis every 24 hours). Powered by the IWC-manufactured 81925 calibre with manual winding, you can get this watch in an 18-carat Armor Gold case and Obsidian dial.
Portugieser Chronograph
There are three new versions of this iconic watch: 18-carat White Gold, 18-carat 5N gold or stainless steel with either a Horizon Blue, an Obsidian or a Dune dial. No matter what color dial you choose, you can be sure that it will be easy to read thanks to vertically arranged totalizers. It’s powered by the IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre.
From the Eternal Calendar, that tracks leap year and will be accurate for the next 45 million years — though we won’t be able to check that math — to the Perpetual Calendar 44, which showcases the delicious dial details on both the back and front, the six timepieces each bring a unique element that goes beyond merely telling the time.
IWC captures the details
We don’t know how you’ll narrow it down to your top choice since each watch comes in a combination of dial colors, metal options, and band colors.
The stunning color options
- Silver Moon
- Obsidian
- Horizon Blue
- Dune
Yes, stainless is classic and goes with everything, but if you are getting yourself a luxury piece, why not make sure it stands out in all the right ways? But IWC isn’t just introducing one watch in one new color. Instead, IWC blew our minds and took four sky-themed colors of Silver Moon, Obsidian, Horizon Blue, and Dune to create an endless variety of watches to choose from.
With over 150 years of experience, IWC knows how to make a luxury wristwatch. But taking pieces already perfected and making them even better puts the Porugeiser Collection in a galaxy all its own. While our favorites are the Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night and the Eternal Calendar, you’ll have to decide which one you want to keep you on time.
