BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
After releasing some great pilots watches last year, IWC is back this year with a few new tantalizing and elegant looking Portugieser watches. The one we are looking at here is the new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon.
Featuring sleekly styled Arabic numerals, a railroad minute track, and classic leaf-shaped hands, the Portugieser has always had a pretty face. The new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon keeps the basic formula intact adding a couple of new functions. First and foremost is the Flying tourbillon, which can be seen through the circular display at 12. Next is the perpetual calendar complication, which has been implemented using subdials, that help keep the symmetry and legibility of the dial intact. At the 3 o’clock position is a clever twin register that displays the date along with power reserve, at 6 then is the month indicator along with the Moonphase and at 9 is the day of the week. Additionally, there is also a rectangular window between 7 and 8 to display the four-digit year, which I feel could have been better placed.
Measuring 45mm in diameter with a thickness of around 15.2mm, the Portugieser Perpetual Tourbillon is a large watch. The case has been constructed from Platinum or Red gold, which adds to the exclusivity and would also ensure that this watch offers the heft associated with a solidly built timepiece. Water-resistance is limited to just 30 meters and there are sapphire crystals on the front as well as the back.
Driving this watch is IWC’s in-house automatic caliber 51950. This movement operates at a slightly odd frequency of 19,800 VPH and offers an impressive power reserve of 7 days. The movement is stunning to look at and has been beautifully decorated using circular Geneva stripes, blued screws, and features a skeletonized 18k gold rotor.
The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon would be available to purchase in two variations; a 50-piece Boutique edition with a gold case priced at CHF 115,000 and a blue dial and a regular version with a Platinum case and white dial priced at CHF 133,000. Both watches would come attached to high-quality leather straps manufactured by Santoni.
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