Showing at WatchTime Live 2020: IWC’s First Portugieser Chronograph on a Steel Bracelet


IWC spruced up its Portugieser collection with high-complication editions and new models in its Yacht Club sub-family earlier this year; at the upcoming WatchTime Live virtual collectors’ event on October 22-24, IWC will offer a close-up of the latest addition to the Year of the Portugieser, the first Portugieser Chronograph on an integrated stainless steel bracelet.

The new Portugieser Chronograph (left) with the 150th Anniversary model

Both the watch’s 41-mm round case and its new three-link bracelet are made of stainless steel and graced with an array of polished and satin-finished surfaces that lend an air of luxury to its overall sporty look. The bracelet’s new butterfly clasp is ergonomically designed for enhanced wrist comfort. The sliver-plated dial features blued hands and appliqué hour numerals, a minute scale on the flange, and subtly recessed subdials at 12 o’clock (for 30 elapsed chronograph minutes) and 6 o’clock (for running seconds). On the side of the case, two mushroom-shaped pushers flanking the fluted crown control the stop, start, and reset of the chronograph.

Portugieser Chronograph, Ref. IW371617
Two flat-headed mushroom-style pushers operate the chronograph.
The subdials are slightly recessed from the main dial.

Driving the watch’s timekeeping and stopwatch functions is the IWC Caliber 69355, an automatic movement made in-house by the brand, which several years ago replaced the ubiquitous ETA Valjoux 7750 as the engine of the Portugieser Chronograph. Visible behind a sapphire caseback, its technical talking points include its classic column wheel architecture and ultra-efficient, bidirectional pawl winding system, developed by IWC legend Albert Pellaton in the 1950s. The beautifully decorated movement offers a stop-seconds function and a power reserve of 46 hours. It oscillates at 28,800 vph inside the 30-meter water-resistant case.

IWC’s manufacture Caliber 69355 is visible through the caseback.
The new steel bracelet is available as an accessory for other Portugieser Chronographs.

The Portugieser Chronograph on the new stainless steel bracelet retails for $8,900. IWC says that the bracelet will also be available as an accessory for all other new models of the Portugieser Chronograph as well.

To learn more about WatchTime Live, its sponsoring watch brands, and details on its schedule of presentations and panels, and to sign up for tickets to the event, click here.

Manufacturer:IWC Schaffhausen, Baumgartenstrasse 15, 8200 Schaffausen, Switzerland
Reference number:IW371617
Functions:Hour, minute, small seconds, chronograph with counter for 30 elapsed minutes
Movement:Self-winding manufacture Caliber 69355, 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, stop-seconds function, column wheel, fine adjustment via regulator and eccentric screw, 46-hour power reserve, diameter = 30 mm, height = 7.9 mm
Case:Stainless steel, convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, sapphire caseback, water resistant to 30 meters
Bracelet and cla­­sp:Stainless-steel bracelet with butterfly clasp
Dimensions:Diameter = 41 mm, height = 13.1 mm
Price:$8,900
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  1. Jim C Manuel

    Great looking watch. Love the blue hands. Looks like it may be time to “retire” my old JLC.

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  2. I have the feeling this totally destroys the essence of this special watch .
    Totally out of personality . Looks more as a move to sell steel and more steel without any other pourpose.
    The watch looses his heritage and lately iwc in mho has not move forward but going into no direction looking only to copy tendences instead of creating one.

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