IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Automatic 42 & Portugieser Automatic 40

IWC Schaffhausen introduces the new Portugieser Automatic 42 and Portugieser Automatic 40 models at Watches and Wonders 2024. 

The watches boast a completely re-engineered case construction with a slender side profile, enhancing their elegance and refinement. Double box-glass sapphire crystals provide a clear view of the intricately finished dials, which undergo a meticulous process involving 15 layers of transparent lacquer. The larger aperture sapphire crystals on the back reveal the IWC-manufactured movements from the 52000 and 82000 caliber families, both featuring Pellaton winding systems with ceramic components. Selected models showcase new design codes with dial colors like Horizon Blue, Obsidian, and Dune, symbolizing the perpetual cycle of day and night and accentuating the timeless allure of the Portugieser's design.

The Portugieser's origins trace back to the late 1930s when IWC Schaffhausen utilized a high-precision pocket watch movement to create a distinctively large wristwatch with chronometer precision. Despite its creation over 80 years ago, the Portugieser remains timeless, characterized by its simple case shape, purist dial, and impeccable legibility. 

IWC has refined its Portugieser watches on every level, presenting a new collection of the Portugieser Automatic 42 and the Portugieser Automatic 40. The watches feature carefully reworked case constructions with slender side profiles, enhancing their visual lightness and elegance. 

The dials undergo a complex process involving sunburst finishes or finely blasted surfaces, followed by the application of 15 layers of lacquer for an extraordinary optical depth. The three-dimensional effect is accentuated by meticulous printing techniques, resulting in dials that exude depth and sophistication.

The Portugieser Automatic 42 retains the DNA of the original Portugieser Automatic from 2000, featuring a balanced dial design with a power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock and small seconds at 9 o'clock. The models are presented in various materials and dial colors, catering to diverse tastes and preferences. The new models are powered by the IWC-manufactured 52011 caliber, offering improved escapement against magnetic fields and a seven-day power reserve. 

Meanwhile, the Portugieser Automatic 40 embodies the essence of the Portugieser design in a more compact 40-millimeter case size, paying homage to the first Portugieser reference from 1939. These models are powered by the IWC-manufactured 82200 caliber, featuring a power reserve of 60 hours.