Schaffhausen-based brand IWC is completely focused on its Portugieser collection this year. While last year saw the smash hit Ingenieur reborn, for Watches and Wonders 2024, the brand has only announced new Portugiesers. While the Portguieser case has been updated, most of the debuts aren’t entirely new. There are two exceptions, though, and one of them is the all-new IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night.
The Portguieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night (Ref. IWC545901) features a solid 18k Armor Gold case that measures 42.4mm across and 10.8mm thick. That’s quite thin for such a wide watch, which will likely make it wear very flat and wide on the wrist — not a bad thing. Armor Gold is IWC’s proprietary rose-gold alloy, which is harder and more durable than the 5N gold usually used. The case is finished with a brushed case and polished top and bezel, plus a domed sapphire crystal and a pull-out crown. 60m of water resistance keep it suitable for most activities outside the pool or ocean, but 60 also seems like some weird game of one-upmanship competing with watches that only have 50m of resistance. The watch is paired with a black alligator leather strap with an Armor Gold folding clasp, though it, unfortunately, does not come with the brand’s quick-release mechanism for easy changes.
The dial offers a rich brushed obsidian canvas into which IWC has set the two namesake complications: a tourbillon and a day/night indicator. At 6 o’clock, a gold ring circles the tourbillon aperture, and the flying tourbillon is on full display. The tourbillon itself isn’t especially elegant, but neither is the Portugieser’s case; both seem to suggest a more rough-around-the-edges type of sophistication. At 9 o’clock, the day/night indicator represents an entirely new implementation for the brand for this complication. The polished black and gold orb rotates to indicate the day or night depending on the time. You may have seen this type of indicator before, most notably and dramatically from Arnold & Son, but it’s new to IWC. While I’ve always found such indicators of especially little use, I have to admit the execution here appears exceptional. The dial is completed with gold-plated leaf hands and applied gold numerals.
Powering the IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night is a newly developed caliber, the “IWC-manufactured” caliber 81925. This hand-wound caliber is an evolution of the 81905, which only features a tourbillon. The movement features a diamond-coated silicon escapement to increase efficiency and longevity and is quite attractive through the sapphire caseback crystal. The decorated gold-plated base plate has apertures for the mainspring barrel, gears, and most importantly, the day/night sphere. The movement delivers an 84-hour power reserve at 28,800vph.
The Portugieser line strikes a balance between the IWC Big Pilot and the IWC Portofino collections, offering models that are arguably the most versatile in the brand’s catalog. The two truly new Portugiesers introduced this year are both impressive, but I appreciate the restraint and simplicity of this as well as the moody elegance telegraphed by the black and gold combination. The IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night is priced at $79,300 USD. For more information, please visit the IWC website.