Launched in 2003, IWC's first Portugieser with a perpetual calendar boasted a moon phase display with an accuracy of 577.5 years.
With its design recalling nautical instruments, the patented Double Moon shows the moon phase as seen from the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Likewise, the dial of the original Portugieser from the late 1930s was inspired by deck watches used for ships' navigation.
The faces of the new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 appeal in four colours that express the eternal cycle of day and night.
Horizon Blue is inspired by the early afternoon sky while Dune evokes an early evening atmosphere with a setting sun. Obsidian represents the night sky and golden city lights while Silver Moon reflects the whitish shimmer of sunlight reflected from the lunar surface.
IWC crafted the dials with a captivating visual depth to bring out the beauty of the new shades. The complex process involved up to 60 steps, which include applying 15 layers of transparent lacquer and polishing to a high gloss finish.
White gold Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 with a Dune coloured dial.
Versions in an 18-carat white gold case are paired with the Horizon Blue or Dune coloured dial. The other two renditions feature a black Obsidian or a Silver Moon dial against a case in 18-carat Armor Gold, which is considerably harder and more wear-resistant than conventional 5N gold.
Notably, the 44.4mm case has been reworked and refined with a more slender case ring. In combination with box-glass sapphire crystals, the new construction makes the watches particularly light and elegant.
The milled and polished sapphire crystals allow a better view of the dial as well as IWC-manufactured 52616 calibre with a power reserve of seven days.
The 2024 Portugieser collection themed "A Tribute To Eternity" echoes IWC's "Operation Eternity" in the early 1980s. The mission led by head watchmaker Kurt Klaus aimed at capturing the Gregorian calendar with its many irregularities into a wristwatch.
His ingenious mechanism was incorporated into the crown-operated Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph with synchronised displays of the date, day, month, moon phase as well as the year in four digits.
Since then the Swiss brand has amplified its prowess in mechanical calendars, such as the new quartet of Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44, which requires a minor adjustment in centurial years that are not leap years, such as 2100.
Armor Gold versions with a Silver Moon and Obsidian dial.
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44.
