Celebrating the aesthetics of old-school marine deck observation watches, IWC Schaffhausen launch a duo of new IWC Portugieser watches with nautical white and blue displays. The first is the classic IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 watch with a 7-day power reserve and a blue alligator leather strap. The second is an ever-popular IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620 watch with a matching panda dial and blue rubber strap.
The IWC Portugieser is one of the Swiss watch manufacturer’s oldest and most prestigious designs. The brand’s prowess for haute horologerie has been seen on numerals occasions in the collection, whether it’s through solid gold cases, COSC certified movements or intricate complications like moonphase, perpetual calendar or the classic chronograph. The history of the collection is one we never get tired of telling, beginning back in the 1930’s when two Portuguese gentleman approached IWC and asked them to create a wristwatch with the precision of a marine chronometer. Of course they did it, placing their Calibre 74 hunter pocket watch movement within a 43mm wristwatch case. The design was known as “Reference 325” for quite some time before eventually, it was named the IWC Portugieser. Now in honour of the marine deck observation watches that inspired the inaugural model, the luxury watch brand launch a new duo of white and blue designs named the IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 and the IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620.
The IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 Watch
The white and blue colourway of the new IWC Portugieser watches is made for the summer months and instantly improves legibility of the subsidiary counters and central hands. The IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 watch brings to life its nautical display with a polished lacquer white backdrop and deep blue counters with an azurage finish. The complications featured on the subsidiary dials are not chronograph timers as one might initially think; instead, they offer a small seconds counter at 9 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock. The latter runs up to 7 whole days thanks to the automatic Pellaton winding system of the IWC-manufactured 52010 calibre. Many of the components are made of virtually wear-free ceramic and just the slightest nudge of the rotor keeps charge of the movement.
The IWC-manufactured 52010 calibre can be admired through the exhibition case back of the IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500715 watch when its not secured to your wrist by the elegant blue alligator leather strap. The rest of the case follows suit to previous Portugieser Automatics with a durable stainless steel architecture measuring in at 42.3mm wide and 14.2mm in height. The smooth unadorned bezel sits flush to convex sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on both sides. We’re also promised a 30 metre water resistant rating and a knurled, non-screw locked, logo-adorned crown at 3 o’clock.
The IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620 Watch
Anyone with a penchant for chronographs will know the instant attraction of a panda dial. It’s a design marked by two subsidiary dials, typically in a horizontal layout, that contrast to the colour of the backdrop. The Portugieser has frequented several panda dials in its time and again we’re welcomed to a vertical edition in the new IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620 watch. Like before, a crisp white lacquer backdrop is elected and paired with two blue azurage counters, this time placed at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions. The one up top presents the chronograph minutes while parallel is a small seconds counter.
Matching the nautical theme are blued feuille hands at the centre for the hours, minutes and chronograph seconds which are powered by the automatic winding IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre. The movement boasts a column-wheel design which can be admired through the case back and delivers 27 jewels, a frequency of 28,800vph and a 46 hour power reserve. The rest of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371620 watch mirrors much of its automatic counterpart but with a slightly smaller size of 41mm wide and 13.1mm high. There’s also the addition of elegant pushers for controlling the chronograph complication and a waterproof, durable and flexible blue rubber strap closed by a classic stainless steel pin buckle.
If you’d like to learn more about the new IWC Portugieser White and Blue IW500715 & IW371620 watches and order them for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
