SIHH 2015: IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar (Updated with Live Photos and Prices)


IWC Portuguese Annual Calendar - frontThe new IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar, part of the brand’s “Year of the Portugieser” at SIHH 2015, is a timepiece that marks two IWC firsts: its in-house movement is equipped with an innovative annual calendar mechanism and also boasts a two-barrel, seven-day power reserve.

In keeping with IWC tradition at SIHH, the brand has devoted the lion’s share of its development and marketing efforts on one of its collections; this year, the Portuguese family gets its time in the spotlight. Kicking off IWC’s latest Year of the Portugieser is this new annual calendar watch (Ref. 5035), containing the new IWC Caliber 52850.

The dial of the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar displays the month, date, and day, in that order, in three semi-circular windows at 12 o’clock. This “American-style” date indication, which uses three individual disks, is an homage to IWC’s American-born founder, Florentine Ariosto Jones. The watch’s seven-day (168-hour) power reserve, which is stored in twin barrels, is displayed on a subdial at 3 o’clock. The small seconds subdial is positioned at 9 o’clock. As in all annual calendar watches, the date will need correction once a year, at the end of February; fortunately, all corrections can be carried out easily and conveniently, via the single winding crown.

The watch’s sapphire caseback allows an unimpeded view of the automatic movement, which displays some of the modifications that IWC has made to its 5200 family of calibers, including slimmer rotors and more open bridges inset with a solid gold “Probus Scafusia” medallion. IWC’s Pellaton winding system has also been improved, with practically wear-free components made of black and white ceramic.

IWC Portuguese Annual Calendar - front

Despite the fact that it represents the first use of the annual calendar complication in an IWC watch, the new timepiece very closely resembles the original Portugieser model from 1939. Its case is 44.2 mm in diameter, with a grooved bezel. The dial is surrounded by a railroad-track chapter ring, and has the same thin feuille hands and Arabic numerals as did its historical predecessor. It is only the placement of the small seconds subdial (at 9 o’clock rather than 6 o’clock) that significantly varies from the 1939 design — along with, of course, the three calendar windows replacing the 11 o’clock, 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock numerals.

The IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar is available in an 18k rose-gold case with silver-plated dial (Ref. IW503504, $35,700); stainless steel case with a silver-plated dial (Ref. IW503501) and stainless steel case with sun-pattern-finished midnight blue dial (Ref. IW503502, pictured; both steel versions are $24,100). The watch comes on a Santoni alligator leather strap with a folding clasp.

IWC Portuguese Annual Calendar - reclining

I had a chance to try on the blue-dial version of the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar on the first day at SIHH in Geneva. Below is a shot of what it looks like on the wrist, as well as an image of the new IWC Caliber 52850 through the watch’s clear caseback.

IWCIWC Portuguese Annual Calendar - wrist
IWC Portuguese Annual Calendar - back
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  1. Debashish

    It is a beautiful watch, truly worthy of IWC name!

    Wish there were some more pictures of this fabulous watch.

    Reply
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