IWC: NEW COMPLICATIONS AND MOVEMENTS IN THE PORTUGIESER LINE

IWC Schaffhausen unveiled five limited-edition Portugieser wristwatches at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva as part of the jubilee collection to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary.

The Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “150 Years” is one of the most technically sophisticated watches in the collection and combines a constant-force tourbillon with a simple moon phase display for the very first time. The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “150 Years” brings a perpetual calendar together with a tourbillon on the dial for the first time ever. IWC is also launching a Portugieser with a perpetual calendar in the design of the jubilee collection and fitting the Portugieser Chronograph with an IWC-manufactured calibre. An anniversary edition of the Portugieser Hand-Wound is also being launched for fans of hand-wound watches.

With five new limited-edition Portugieser watches, IWC is once again underscoring its Haute Horlogerie expertise in its anniversary year. All timepieces feature the design of the jubilee collection. Their distinguishing features are the dials produced using a complex lacquering process in white or blue.

The Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “150 Years” (Ref. 5902) represents a technical highlight of the jubilee collection. A total of 15 watches will be made for each model:

• Platinum, white dial with lacquered finish, blued hands (Ref. IW590202)
• Platinum, blue dial with lacquered finish, rhodium-plated hands (Ref. IW590203)

For the first time, the new IWC-manufactured hand-wound 94805 calibre with a power reserve of 96 hours combines a constant-force tourbillon with a simple moon phase display that only needs to be adjusted by 1 day after 577.5 years. The patented constant-force mechanism transmits completely even impulses to the escape wheel. In conjunction with the tourbillon, which compensates for the negative influences of gravity on the watch’s oscillating system, this allows for an exceptionally high level of precision.

With the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “150 Years” (Ref. IW504501), IWC watch is combining a perpetual calendar with a tourbillon on the dial for the first time. The watch is available in a limited edition of 50:

• 18-carat 5N gold, white dial with lacquered finish, blued hands (Ref. IW504501)

This combination is possible thanks to the newly developed IWC-manufactured 51950 calibre. This is an extension of the 51900 calibre, with the addition of a perpetual calendar. Made of 82 individual components and weighing just 0.635 grams, the tourbillon is visible at “12 o’clock” because the watch designers opened up the calendar advance ring and integrated the moon phase in the month display disc at “6 o’clock”. With its solid gold rotor, the automatic winding system generates a power reserve of 7 days.

With the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition “150 Years” (Ref. IW503405), IWC is presenting a special interpretation of this classic Portugieser watch in the design of the Jubilee collection. Production is limited to 250 watches:

• 18-carat 5N gold, white dial with lacquered finish, blued hands (Ref. IW503405)

The IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre with Pellaton winding generates a power reserve of 7 days with a solid gold rotor and two barrels. IWC perpetual calendar watches automatically recognises the differing lengths of the months as well as leap years and will require no adjustment until 2100. The double moon display depicts the moon as a mirror image that is correct for both the northern and southern hemispheres and that will only deviate by 1 day from the actual cycle of the earth’s satellite after 577.5 years.

With the Portugieser Chronograph Edition “150 Years” (Ref. 3716), IWC is fitting this iconic chronograph with a movement from the 69000-calibre family for the first time. Two limited-edition models are available, each restricted to 2,000 watches:

• Stainless steel, blue dial with lacquered finish, rhodium-plated hands (Ref.

IW371601)

• Stainless steel, white dial with lacquered finish, blued hands (Ref. IW371602)

The IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre is a robust chronograph movement in a classic column-wheel design that is made of 194 individual components. The bidirectional pawl-winding system generates a power reserve of 46 hours. The decorated movement is visible through the sapphire-glass back.