Editor’s Note: Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) and Baselworld 2020 are canceled but that hasn’t stopped watch brands large and small from debuting their new wares. To stay on top of this year’s best new watch releases, visit our tag page.
The IWC Portugieser may not be a household name like the Rolex Daytona, but it’s a watch with an interesting backstory nonetheless: designed at the behest of two Portuguese merchants in the 1930s and originally housed in an oversized case with a pocket watch movement, the Portugieser has since become a staple in the International Watch’s Company’s product offerings.
Over the last few years, IWC has notably been upgrading watches that use third party movements with in-house movements, adding value for what, in most cases, isn’t much of a hike in MSRP. The latest line to receive in-house calibers in the Portugieser in the form of the Portugieser Chronograph, a 41mm, dual-register chronograph available in several dial colors and case metals beginning at $7,950.
The chronos will now feature the cal. 69000 movement with 46 hours of power reserve, viewable through a new transparent case back. While most people probably won’t care too much whether their watch is powered by a third-party movement or an in-house caliber, the watch nerds out there will no doubt appreciate the incredible craftsmanship, attention to detail and precision required of IWC to craft these movements in their own facilities.
