Jewellery & Watch News
The new IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Watches boast redesigned cases, new dial colours and a choice between an 18ct white gold or 18ct Armor gold finish.
At the annual Watches and Wonders Geneva showcase last week, IWC launched four new iterations of its popular Perpetual Calendar complication from the Portugieser watch collection. The models now boast a slimmer case ring to reduce the heftiness of the 44mm Portugieser design, a movement that offers a 7-day power reserve, and a highly polished, 15-layer lacquered dial. To learn more about these new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 watches for 2024, we’re jumping straight in and exploring these four models with dials of Horizon Blue, Dune, Obsidian and Silver Moon.
You could say that the horological universe doesn’t get much better than releases like IWC’s bold statement released last week;
“The IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar with Moon Phase Accuracy of 45 Million Years”.
The complexity of the craftsmanship and expertise behind that statement is unmatched in the industry and could quite possibly go down as one of the company’s finest and greatest horological accomplishments in its entire history. It features a Double Moon display as part of its calendrical functions that shows the exact positioning of the moon as it is seen in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. To keep its accuracy so tight, the movement benefits from a reduced gear system, similar to the new IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 watch for 2024. To make it even more appealing, IWC fits these watches on beautiful Santoni leather bands and launches the dials in an array of alluring colours.
The new perpetual calendar watches are based on the foundations of the first perpetual calendar design, innovated by IWC’s Head Watchmaker at the time, Kurt Klaus. Now these new timepieces, as part of the legacy of the complication, feature some refinements and redesigned elements to enhance the appeal of the watch all the more. The famed watch specialist adds in a slimmer and taller bezel to compensate for the model’s naturally large proportions and incorporates sub-dials that are milled into the dial. It also equips the watch with a movement that has a 7-day power reserve thanks to two barrels. Let’s take a look at the new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 watch for 2024.
The New IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 Watches
The first Portugieser version of the perpetual calendar came about in 2003. It borrowed the core concept of the 1980s design but promised better accuracy. Similar to how the new IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar works, the movement benefitted from a reduction gear that improved the accuracy of those earlier perpetual calendar complications, increasing it to one day over 557.5 years as opposed to 122 years. It has become an industry standard that many of the company’s competition can but only aspire to achieve. The precise and robust mechanism that controls the days, the weeks, the months and even accounts for leap years, promotes an impressive accuracy and has undergone many revisions since its birth but remains a fine example of workmanship. Its Double Moon display, which displayed the Earth’s only satellite body on the surface of the dial as it would naturally be seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, was yet another reflection of the company’s unwavering commitment to improving and modifying its horological innovations – a vision it still stands by.
The New IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 Watches
As aforementioned, the new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 watches come in four variations. Two are made from 18ct white gold. The reference IW503703 has rhodium-plated hands and hour markers set against a stunning Horizon blue dial. The model is fitted on a light blue calfskin leather strap and secures to the wrist with an 18ct white gold clasp. The second of the white gold variations is the reference IW503704, which boasts a mesmerising Dune dial with gold-plated hands and a beautiful black alligator leather strap. Then we have the 18ct Armor Gold options. The reference IW503702 boasts an Obsidian black dial adorned with gold-plated hands and gold appliques, paired with a black alligator leather strap. Lastly, the four new releases are rounded off nicely with the Ref. IW503701, which features a Silver Moon dial complimented by gold-plated hands and gold appliques. This model wraps around the wrist with a classic dark brown alligator leather strap.
All of the new models measure to 44.4mm diameter and stand on the wrist at a height of 14.9mm. They all feature a slimmer yet taller bezel ring and a high case polish. The dials themselves are modified too. The sub-counters at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, offering the date, the power reserve, the month, the days of the week and the Double Moon feature are all recessed into the brass plate of the dial and the 15 lacquered layers that are applied to its surface. The dials impart an exquisite polish, enabling the Arabic numeral hour markers and the feuille hands to pop against their respective colours. The hands are also propelled around the dial by the Calibre 52616, which boasts an improved escapement that offers better protection against magnetic fields. It also features a Pellaton winding system with virtually wear-free zirconium oxide ceramic. The oscillating mass is also made from solid gold. The movement’s mainspring builds up a very solid power reserve of 7 days with its two barrels. All of the new IWC Portugieser watches offer a water-resistant rating of 50 meters and come displayed inside a beautiful, authentic branded presentation box with official IWC paperwork and manufacturer’s warranty.
If you’d like to learn more about the new IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 watches or would like to pre-order one following this year’s 2024 Watches & Wonders showcase, you can call and speak to a member of our C W Sellors sales team today on 01335 216004 or email us at sales@cwsellors.com.
