Cover Photo: Courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen

Discover the striking new addition to IWC Schaffhausen's well-known Portugieser collection

This year, Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen has put all its energy into furthering one of its oldest and best-known collections: Portugieser. Of the numerous new releases, two especially complicated models top the list for both their bank-busting price tags and mechanical movements, and the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph is one of them.

It’s available in two versions that are limited editions of 50 pieces each; one comes in a platinum case with a silver-plated dial, and the other comes with a navy-blue dial and a case made using IWC’s proprietary Armor Gold.

See also: August 2020: What's New In Watches

Retrograde Date Display

This watch is equipped with a retrograde date display, which shows the passing of the month with a hand that moves in an arc from the 1st to the 31st of the month.

Armor Gold

Our favourite version of the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph is made using 18-karat Armor Gold. A type of red gold manufactured by IWC Schaffhausen, this metal is, according to the watchmaker, five to ten times harder and more wear-resistant than conventional red gold.

Calibre 89900

The Calibre 89900, which powers the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, has a number of interesting features, including a chronograph, which can be used as a stopwatch.

Tourbillon

The Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph’s tourbillon brings its balance wheel to the surface. The wheel rotates around an axis in a cage, which is what allows the movement to keep regular time. Not only is it visually spectacular, it also reduces the influence of gravity on the watch’s inner workings, as a result increasing the watch’s accuracy.

See also: These Are The Luminous Watches We're Obsessing Over Now


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