IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Collection Reboots with Chronographs, Moon & Tide Edition
IWC Schaffhausen has put the spotlight on its elegant Portugieser family in 2020, and as part of its new lineup has also unveiled the first new models in the nautical-inspired Portugieser Yacht Club sub-series since its last revamp in 2010. These include three new chronograph models as well as the Yacht Club Moon and Tide, the first IWC timepiece with a tide indicator.
The Moon and Tides is the most intriguing new Yacht Club edition and the only one in a full rose-gold case. Measuring 44.5 mm in diameter and 14.4 mm thick, the case houses behind its navy blue dial the in-house, automatic Caliber 82835, enhanced here for the first time with a tides display function. Developed for the yachtsmen whose passion inspired the collection, its useful features include the subdial at 6 o’clock which indicates the expected times for the next high and low water, along with the double moon phase display at 12 o’clock, which shows spring and neap tides as well as information about the strength of the current tides. (Spring tides, which bring particularly high water, occur at full moon and new moon.) The plating on the hour and minute hands and the hour appliqués are in the same 5N rose gold as the case.
The automatic Caliber 82835 beats in full view behind a sapphire caseback. Outfitted with the all-new module for the tide displays and incorporating IWC's Pellaton winding system with high-tech ceramic components, it stores a respectable power reserve of 68 hours. The watch is mounted on a blue textile strap that echoes the maritime theme of the dial, and of the watch itself.
The latest versions of the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph include two in stainless steel cases with steel bracelets — one with a silvered dial with blue highlights, the other, a blue dial with white details — and one two-tone steel-and-rose-gold model with a silvered dial, whose gold details include the hands, hour numerals, bezel, and the center links of the bracelet. The cases measure 44.6 mm, the same as the Moon & Tides model, and the dial layout showcases the user-friendly chronograph readout at 12 o'clock, which tallies both elapsed hours and minutes on a single subdial.
The movement inside the Yacht Club Chronographs is IWC's self-winding Caliber 89361, manufactured in-house and boasting a 68-hour power reserve. In addition to the single-totalizer display for the stopwatch hours and minutes, its built-in chronograph includes a flyback function that enables the wearer to return the hands to zero and instantly begin a new timing sequence. The watch also has a hacking seconds function and a small-seconds and date display in a single subdial at 6 o'clock. The bracelets, like the cases, offer a combination of brushed and polished finishes.
Prices for the 2020 IWC Portugieser Yacht Club editions are as follows: $33,100 for the Moon & Tides, $13,100 for the steel Chronographs, and $19,900 for the bicolor steel-and-gold Chronograph. Keep following WatchTime.com for updates and more notable timepieces from Watches & Wonders 2020.
