IWC Portugaise Remontage Manuel Huit Jours Edition ’75th Anniversary’ IW510206

To mark the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Portuguese watch family, IWC has decided to pay fitting tribute to a little known yet wonderfully attractive version of the original Portuguese with the new Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “75th Anniversary”. The design of this limited anniversary edition is almost identical to that of its predecessor, while the act of manually winding the movement once a week is a pleasing ritual.

Those familiar with the history of IWC are most likely to associate the original Portuguese (Ref. 325) from the 1930s  with its legendary black and white dial. This classic, minim alist design was one of the main reasons that the Portuguese  from 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 Portuguese  Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “75th Anniversary” (Ref. IW510205 and IW510206) is a homage to a version of the original Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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.

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 atch 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 millimetres in 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 main spring. 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “75th Anniversary” will be available in a limited edition of 175 watches in 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.