IWC Portugieser Automatic IW501707 Watch

The origins of the Portugieser date back to the late 1930s, when IWC Schaffhausen used a high-precision pocket watch movement to create a distinctively large wristwatch with chronometer precision. First introduced in 2000, the Portugieser Automatic 42 features an open, balanced dial, with a power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock and the small seconds positioned on the opposite side at 9 o'clock. This version features a polished 18-carat 5N gold case with a diameter of 42.4 millimetres, an Obsidian dial, and gold-plated hands and gold appliques. The watch appears elegant and refined thanks to a thoroughly reworked case construction with a thinner casing ring and box-glass sapphire crystals on the front and the back. A highlight is the intricately crafted dial, which is manufactured in a complex process comprising 60 individual steps. A special printing process further enhances the three-dimensional effect. Finally, the appliques are individually mounted on the dial by hand. The watch is fitted with a black alligator leather strap from Santoni with an 18-carat 5N gold folding clasp.