Home » IWC Watches » IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Hand-Wound Edition “D.H. Craig USA”
The Schaffhausen-based manufacturer unveils a special edition Portugieser to commemorate the centenary of the death of its founder, Florentine Ariosto Jones (1841–1916). The legendary American engineer and watchmaker founded IWC in 1868 in order to produce pocket watch movements for the US market. This special Portugieser honors the brand’s founder and it will be exclusively on sale in the United States.
The number 27 stands for the age of Jones when he founded the company in Schaffhausen, while the name “D.H. Craig” actually belongs to Jones’s uncle Daniel Hastings Craig from New England who have supported his nephew financially. While Jones was running IWC in Switzerland, his most famous mechanism was dubbed the Jones 2N Pattern H caliber and it had his uncle’s name inscribed in the metal to honor the man he viewed as a mentor. The iconic caliber has inspired this limited edition watch and therefore it features his uncle’s name.
Florentine Ariosto Jones
IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Hand-Wound Edition “D. H. Craig USA” is housed in an elegant 18-karat red gold case and it comes in the limited series of only 27 pieces. The case measures 43mm in diameter and 11mm in thickness. Underneath the front sapphire glass lies a silver-plated dial comprising the beautiful minute tourbillon which is set at the 9 o’clock position, conversely to F.A. Jones’s signature at the 3 o’clock position. The dial also incorporates a small seconds sub-dial located at the 6 o’clock position, as well as two elegant, blued hands.
The special edition Portugieser is equipped with the hand-wound IWC-manufactured caliber 98900 mechanical movement that has been designed in the tradition of the 98 caliber which was manufactured from the mid-1930s for the hunter pocket watch. The impeccable caliber has been regularly improved ever since.
Calibre 98000 Family
The beating heart of the watch oscillates at the rapid frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour (4 Hz) and it is endowed with a 54-hour power reserve. The movement is sealed against the ingress of water pressure down to 30 meters (approximately 100 feet).
The Portugieser Tourbillon Hand-Wound Edition “D. H. Craig USA” (ref. IW546306) is attached to a black alligator leather strap made by the Italian shoemaker Santoni. Since October, it is exclusively available from IWC boutiques and authorized retailers across the U.S. for the retail price of $57,000. Each piece comes with a numbered passport holder which is also made by Santoni and with a copy of the book F.A. Jones: His Life, Legacy and Watches.
Together with the launch of the special edition, the Swiss watchmaker will also restore a historic street clock in New York City in cooperation with the organization Save America’s Clocks. Also, it will display a small special exhibition in the IWC boutiques in New York and Los Angeles.
