With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. Since its inception, the purist Portuguese line has combined an elegant, timeless and uncompromising horological perfection. Benchmarks of good taste, these chronometers concede nothing to the whims of fashion. The tradition behind the IWC Portuguese family stretches back to the precision nautical instruments once used by navigators to discover the world.
Over half a millennium later, in the late 1930s, two Portuguese businessmen working in the watch sector visited the Schaffhausen factory and commissioned wrist watches to match the accuracy of a marine chronometer.
The first Portuguese, in 1939, came fitted with a pocket watch movement. The IWC watch line has endured over 70 years since then and is a firm favourite amongst the world’s watch lovers, who appreciate its sheer size, precision and complex mechanics.
The new Portuguese Chronograph Classic brings exceptional elegance and classically inspired design to this popular collection. This third chronograph member of the Portuguese collection preserves the identity and cultural heritage of the legendary originals of the 1930s.
The timepiece comes complete with appliquéd Arabic numerals, a railway-track-style chapter ring and slender feuille hands. An arched-edge front glass makes this slim beauty’s 42mm diameter seem smaller than it is. The traditional type of glass used admirably sets off the language of form, lending a well-balanced and classical impression.
Powering the Portuguese Chronograph Classic is an IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre, developed specifically to record time spans of up to 12 hours on a subdial. The result is as bold and easy to read as a clock face. The sapphire-glass back reveals the 89361 calibre and the rotor, resplendent in Geneva stripes. The Portuguese Chronograph Classic is available in 18-carat red gold or stainless steel, both with silver-plated or slate-coloured dial.
