The Portuguese collection from IWC is characterised by technically refined models that have fascinated watch lovers the world over for more than seventy years. Two new models now join the renowned IWC watch family: the Portuguese Chronograph Classic and the Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound. The elegant line of the Portuguese, which since its inception has combined timeless formal elegance with the perfection of watchmaking craftsmanship, encompasses watches that have marked the history of good taste beyond the various trends. IWC's Portuguese family heritage goes back to the precision nautical instruments with which navigators of yesteryear discovered the world. More than five hundred years later, at the end of the 1930s, two Portuguese watch traders approached the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer requesting wristwatches that were to function with the same precision as a marine chronometer. Equipped with a pocket watch movement, the first Portuguese from 1939 became the progenitor of a family of IWC watches that has delighted watch lovers around the world for more than seventy years. With its outstanding elegance and classically inspired design, the new Portuguese Chronograph Classic (Ref. 3904) fits into this much-appreciated collection and, thanks to its completely reworked design, is a truly unique piece. The characteristic applied Arabic numerals, the chemin de fer minute track and the slender sword-shaped hands ensure that the second chronograph in the Portuguese family retains the identity and cultural heritage of the legendary original Portuguese from the 1930s. The accentuated domed dial glass not only visually reduces the 42-millimetre diameter of this horological masterpiece but also underscores the extremely classic and well-proportioned character conferred by the traditional glass variant. The Portuguese Chronograph Classic is equipped with the IWC-manufactured 89361-calibre movement, which was specially developed to time intervals of up to 12 hours by displaying them on an inner dial that can be read off simply like a second watch. The sapphire glass back allows one to admire the 89361 calibre as well as the rotor decorated with Côtes de Genève. The watch is available in 18-carat red gold or steel variants, both with a silver-plated or slate-coloured dial. The Portuguese collection is renowned for combining the tradition of nautical instruments with modern design and avant-garde mechanics, the synthesis of which emerges with sophistication in the Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound (Ref. 5463). The famous 98900 calibre, perfect for large, self-winding wristwatches, is at the top of a long family tree of renowned pocket watch movements from the Schaffhausen manufactory. The case in 18-carat white gold or 18-carat red gold with its minimalist style is the epitome of understatement. The presence of the flying tourbillon at "9 o'clock" undoubtedly shows how this timepiece is equipped with refined components that reflect the craftsmanship of IWC. The tourbillon rotates around its own axis once every 60 seconds to compensate for the imbalances caused by the force of gravity on the balance and the resulting deviation in accuracy. Thanks to the new, accentuated domed dial glass, the Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound appears particularly flat and even more classically proportioned. The dial chosen matches the case: slate-coloured for the 18-carat white gold version and silver-coloured for the model in 18-carat red gold. The transparent sapphire-glass back allows one to admire the IWC-manufactured 98900-calibre movement with its finely decorated nickel-silver three-quarter bridge. Inspired by the 98000-calibre family, built since the 1920s and constantly perfected ever since, the watch combines tradition with the most modern developments in watchmaking. For the Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound, IWC's engineers have increased the frequency of the balance to 28,800 vibrations per hour, a solution that guarantees excellent rate accuracy.
