The New IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night

The Portugieser is one of IWC‘s oldest ambassadors, and the collection hosts more haute horlogerie models than any other family in the lineup. What unites all these manifestations, from the simplest to the most complex, is the distinctive look of the Portugieser with its clean, well-organised, legible dials and large dimensions. Tourbillons are no strangers to the collection, but the model IWC is releasing at Watches and Wonders 2024 is accompanied by a novel globe-shaped night and day indicator, further animating the action on deck. Meet the new Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night.

The Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon joined the collection in 2021. Although it was not the first tourbillon regulator in the range – there were plenty of those married to other complications – it earned the distinction of being the simplest tourbillon of them all.

The new Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night is presented in a polished and brushed 18k Armor Gold case. This special gold alloy has an improved microstructure that is harder and more wear-resistant than conventional 5N gold. With a diameter of 42.4mm and a thickness of 10.8mm, the model sits in the mid-size range of Portugieser models and is water-resistant to 60 metres.

Sharply dressed, the gold case contrasts vividly with the dark obsidian lacquered dial. Signature Portugieser traits like the slim gold-plated leaf-shaped hour and minute hands, the railway chapter ring, and the applied gold Arabic numerals paired with rectangular markers are all present.

The one-minute flying tourbillon appears in a golden-framed aperture at 6 o’clock, revealing the balance wheel and pallet lever inside the cage. Composed of 56 parts, the mechanism weighs just 0.675 grams. A modern adaptation of the historic regulator, this tourbillon beats at a high frequency of 4Hz and has silicon parts coated with Diamond Shell technology to reduce friction and improve the flow of energy – factors that contribute to the impressive power reserve of 84 hours. Another attribute of this tourbillon is the stop-seconds mechanism.

A second aperture on the dial at 9 o’clock contains the 24-hour day & night indicator. Unlike conventional night/day indicators, the watch features a graphic, three-dimensional rotating sphere. The two-toned globe, with a dark and a bright side, rotates around its axis once every 24 hours.

Since the movement is hand-wound and has no rotor, the small globe can also be seen on the reverse side. The base movement is the same as the one used inside the Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon but modified to incorporate the revolving night & day indicator without affecting the watch’s thickness. Powered by the new IWC calibre 81925, the bridges have been gold-plated and finished with circular Geneva stripes.

Underscoring the watch’s elegance, the handsome black alligator strap is crafted by Santoni and fitted with an 18k Armor gold folding clasp. The Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night model retails for CHF 80,000. For more information, please consult iwc.com.