INTRODUCING: The IWC Portugieser Automatic 42mm and 40mm
The International Watch Company (IWC) has a long history of producing some of the world’s most capable and rugged tool watches available on the market. Their reputation for excellence has given them exposure and proximity to some of the world’s elite military forces, giatns in professional racing, and much more - but, like all well-rounded watch manufacturers, IWC has a more refined side as well. For over eight decades, the IWC Portugieser has been one of, if not the most, quintessential daily dress watch that is being serially produced today. Sleek, simple, legible, and with a host of complications throughout its storied history, the Portugieser has been a true pillar both in the IWC catalogue and in the watch world at large. For Watches & Wonders 2024, IWC has decided to absolutely spoil us with revamped versions of this classic silhouette - both in the classic 42mm case, and the newer 40mm case which has taken collectors by storm.
THE BASICS:
BRAND: IWC Schaffhausen
Model: Portugieser Automatic 40/42
Case Material: 18-carat gold, stainless steel
Case Size: 40mm, 42mm
Water Resistance: 5 bar (50 meters)
Movement: IWC Manufacture Calibres 82200 and 52011
Movement Specs: Patented Pellaton winding system, 7 day power reserve (cal 82200), self winding, ceramic components
Strap Options: Alligator leather by Santoni
THE JUICE:
Ingrained in the DNA of the IWC Portugieser is a commanding wrist presence and top-notch legibility - only part of the reason this collection has a quasi-cult following. The genius engineers in Schaffhausen are slaves to innovation, and so the new iteration of the Portugieser features some important modernizations of the watch that has captured collectors’ hearts for years.
The first and most important is a new, slimmer side profile of the case. The main knock on this line historically has been the sometimes overbearing size, but the new version takes aim at that issue but really alleviating some of the gravity of this watch’s silhouette. I believe the new, more slender case will sit happily on an even wider variety of wrists than ever before. The new case would not be complete without an updated crystal as well. Enter - the new double box-glass sapphire crystals developed for this new iteration of Portugiesers and designed to bolster legibility. The real star of the proverbial show is the new dial variants that are outside of the box compared to what we typically see from IWC. They are meticulously crafted through a new, intricate process that includes adding as many as fifteen layers of lacquer in order to achieve the desired color effects. Color variants like ‘Dune’ and ‘Horizon’ are definitely a new look for the Portugieser, but one I think that will be well-accepted by collectors.
IWC’s beloved dress watch underwent a bit of a facelift, and, as a result, I believe will be appealing to an entirely new audience than ever before. Its certainly notable that the Portugieser was one of the final frontiers of revamps for the brand, with a lot of those coming from George Kern. This is a major achievement for the brands young CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr. Seeing the Portugieser in some new shoes, with some new design queues is a welcomed change.
So how much is the Portugieser 40 & 42?
Price for the Portugieser 40 (18-carat gold case) will start at $18,500 USD and the price for the Portugieser 42 (stainless steel) will start at $13,500 USD.
Read more about the watch on the brands website here.