This Elegant Dress Watch Is Deceptively Tough and Functional

IWC used a special type of gold and a fascinating movement to make this watch as functional as it is beautiful.

Published 17 hours ago

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IWC has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the top luxury watch brands with impeccable engineering and alluring refinement.

However, the Swiss watchmaker was also a pioneering force in adapting timekeeping for the early age of aviation a century ago. It was one of the first brands to use ceramic and titanium too.

a IWC watch — The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph is equal parts dress watch and tool watch.

Today, IWC is a luxury and tool watch company in equal measure. There is no finer example of this adroit balancing act than the new Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph.

On its face, it is a gold dress watch with two understated complications and a mesmerizing flying tourbillon. The simple black and gold color scheme is timeless and sophisticated.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a durable and practical tool watch.

It’s complicated

The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph is an evolution of several processors in the Portugieser collection. More specifically, it elaborates on the Tourbillon Day & Night from 2024.

the dial of an IWC watch — The dial has a calendar at nine o’clock and a chronograph at 12 o’clock.

Both watches share the 18-karat Armor Gold case, crown and pushers, framing an obsidian-colored dial, which is achieved with 15 layers of transparent lacquer.

Along with the flying tourbillon, both dials have 18-karat gold-plated applied numeral hour markers along a railroad minute track. At the center are the signature Portugieser hands.

Functionally, the Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph has more in common with the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar, also released in 2024.

It has an automatic movement but differs with a simple retrograde date, which registers along a crescent 31-day track and jumps back at the end of the month.

the back of a an IWC watch — The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar is powered by an IWC caliber 89900 automatic movement.

The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph tops its lineage with a chronograph complication packed into one dial at twelve o’clock. Two hands track a 60-minute totalizer and a 12-hour totalizer.

Tool’s gold

Just like the aforementioned Perpetual Calendar and Day & Night, along with several other members of the Portugieser family, this brilliant new watch is made with 18-karat Armor Gold.

an IWC chronograph watch — The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph is limited to 100 pieces.

IWC is tight-lipped about the specifics of its proprietary tough gold alloy, but it credits an “improved microstructure” for a harder surface that prevents scratching and other abrasion damage that plagues standard gold.

In short, IWC’s newest addition to the Portugieser collection is one of the most beautiful dress watches the brand has released in years, but it still has the flying-heart and functionality of a tool watch.

Availability and pricing

The IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph is available now from IWC for $145,000, which is nearly double the cost of the Day & Night and triple the Perpetual Calendar.

The exclusivity of this exceptional watch isn’t constrained to the price; there are only 100 pieces available worldwide and it can only be purchased at an IWC boutique.

IWC Protugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph

Specs

Size	44mm
Movement	IWC caliber 89900 autoamtic
Water Resistance	30m

$145,000 at IWC

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.