This is a classic Portugieser in every way. A comparison with the 1942 Portugieser Reference 325 (on the left in the photo below) shows that while the design of the numerals, logo and chapter ring has changed, the overall layout is very similar. The 2015 Portugieser Minute Repeater, reference IW5449, is made in two versions,…
As you can see from a comparison (above, the 2015 version on the left, the 2010 version on the right), the new reference IW3776 presented at SIHH in January by IWC Schaffhausen is not all that different from the previous version. The movement is the same 79091 calibre used in the 2010 Reference IW3774. The…
One day, a manufacturer like IWC will make a watch that is truly double-sided, one that you can wear with either the dial side or the movement side upwards. This is a piece that looks superb from both sides, and it would just take an extra pair of hands on the movement side and swivelling…
Today, IWC can look back over 150 years of history, from its privileged position as a brand with a powerful image and identity. But, as often happens in watchmaking, the IWC story is long and complex, with several changes in ownership, economic crises and brilliant turnarounds. Company profile: IWC began with an American, a watchmaker…
“You know, former SAS types with easy smiles and expensive watches…” she says, looking at his wrist where a watch is concealed under a French cuff. “Rolex?” James Bond replies, “Omega.” “Beautiful,” she says. This is a fragment of the dialogue between James Bond and Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. Particularly significant because it reflects…
One of the things that is happening in the watch industry is that some manufacturers are beginning to make use of innovative technology to tell prospective customers about their products. At SIHH in January, Montblanc had a huge model of their tourbillon with cylindrical balance spring suspended over their display, very beautiful, but a fundamentally conventional…
SIHH (19-23 January 2015) is the first major watch show of the year, and even though it includes just 16 brands, all part of the Richemont group, it provides some indications on trends and developments in the watch industry. The brands exhibiting at SIHH were A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier,…
The Portughese Perpetual Calendar Double Moon, presented at SIHH 2015 as the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Double Moon reference 5034 (on the right above), is a good example of how a watch is redesigned. The 2010 version (on the left in the photo above) was very popular, and considered as perfect. How do you improve on…
IWC love springing surprises. In a preview presentation of the new watches to be presented at SIHH beginning on 18 January 2015 in Geneva, the brand has presented a new watch, and announced that the Portuguese family will change name to Portugieser. This was in fact the name (Portuguese in German) given to the family…
To celebrate the opening of their first UK boutique, at 138 New Bond Street in London, IWC have introduced the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar London Edition, reference IW502805, limited to 38 pieces. The watch is available exclusively from the IWC London boutique, tel. +44 (0)203 618 3900. The watch is in stainless steel, and…
It’s a familiar type of watch. Black dial, white numbers, large size, lots of SuperLuminova, Pilot’s watches were originally designed to be easily legible in an aircraft cockpit, and so simplicity was essential. Today, pilots have all sorts of electronic equipment to help them, but even so, the pilot’s watch is great for everyday use…
The IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition JU-Air. Occasionally in the skies of Europe, you see a large, slow, three-engined aircraft with a corrugated-steel fuselage, usually flying low, and with three letters painted large on one wing: IWC. It’s a Ju-52, a German aircraft whose long history earnt it a reputation similar to that of…