Here we have yet another interesting addition to one of IWC’s most famous and technically sophisticated watch families. The new Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days Watch is IWC’s third new Portuguese model for 2013, after launching two limited edition timepieces earlier this year: IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Edition 2013 and IWC Portuguese Automatic Edition “Tribeca Film Festival 2013″.
IWC Portuguese Hand Wound Eight Days Watch
The latest member of the Portuguese watch family is a simple hand-wound model distinguished with a clean dial, the in-house manufactured movement and a nice finishing. The new Portuguese is inspired by the classic IWC dress watches of the 50s and 60s.
IWC Portuguese Hand Wound Eight Days IW510204
The heart of the new Portuguese Hand-Wound timepiece is the in-house made caliber 59215 mechanical movement that provides amazing 8 days (192 hours) of power reserve. The power reserve indicator is housed on the movement itself. It is visible through the sapphire crystal case back. This mechanism is built on 30 jewels and oscillates at the rapid frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz).
The Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days is available in three variants. The 18-karat red gold model with the referent number IW510204 matches a silver-plated dial and a dark brown Santoni alligator leather strap which ends with a red gold pin buckle. There are also two stainless steel versions, both attached to black Santoni alligator leather straps, fitted with steel folding clasps. The silvered dial model comes with the referent number IW510203, while the black dial version has the reference IW510202. The retail price of the red gold Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days watch is CHF 20,000 (about $22,100), whereas steel versions are priced CHF 10,500 ($11,600) each.
IWC Portuguese Hand Wound Eight Days IW510202
This classical looking timepiece features an arched-edge front glass. Underneath this glass lies a simple dial which comprises rhodium-plated Arabic numerals, a small date window at the 3 o’ clock position, as well as characteristic feuille-shaped hour and minute hands which are also rhodium-plated. A small seconds counter at the 6 o’clock position has a signal red numeral “60” which is a quite small, yet attractive detail on its uncluttered dial. A common railway-track-style chapter ring for this family of watches nicely rounds the dial surface.
IWC Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days Watch is coated on both sides with antireflective sapphire crystals and it is constructed to provide 30 meters (about 100 feet) of water resistance. Its mid-sized case measures 43mm in diameter and 12mm in thickness and it is quite appropriate for an average size of a man’s wrist.
