In contrast to previous years, IWC’s collection this year is tight and focused, almost entirely consisting of new Portuguese models. Another notable trend of the collection is the lean towards more classical designs, which is itself a result of the watches being Portuguese models (that is almost a tautology). IWC’s best selling single line is the Portuguese so this emphasis is expected given last year’s soft demand for luxury watches.
One of the primary new additions to the Portuguese line is the Yacht Club chronograph. Named after the vintage IWC model of the 60s and 70s, it contains the same automatic chronograph movement found in the Da Vinci chronograph. This watch is portrayed by IWC as the sort of watch one wears on a yacht (Jean-Claude Biver told me that should be a Hublot but who knows?) and the theme of the IWC booth at SIHH was one of nautical luxury.
Yacht Club in steel
At 45.4 mm wide this watch is quite big and it has an unusually styled case for an IWC, with pump-style pushers and crown guards. The dial is a bit large for the movement, leaving the date floating at 3 o’clock and compelling the designers to fill the perimeter with two minute tracks, ostensibly one for the chronograph elapsed seconds and the other for the minute hand.
Rose gold
Three versions are available, steel with a white or black dial or rose gold with a grey dial, all presented with a rubber strap. Water resistance is 60 m for the times one falls off the boat.
Another large, but decidedly simpler, Portuguese is the Hand-Wound. Catering to those who desire the highly collectable Jubilee Portuguese but did not spring for the Vintage Collection (which somehow did not turn out to be the blockbuster it was hoped to be), the Hand-Wound is 44 mm wide but slim at 10 mm. The dial possesses minimalism almost to the point of being boring, but interest is maintained with several details: appliqué hour numerals and markers, as well as a contrast colour sub-seconds dial with a red “60”.
The black dial version has silver-plated indices and a silver sub-dial while the white dial version has rose gold indices and an unusual grey sub-dial. The white faced Hand-Wound is more striking and though the grey sub-dial initially throws you off, the design and colours actually work very well. I like the white dial version quite a bit.
Three more complicated models were added to the Portuguese collection, two tourbillons and a Grande Complication. Both tourbillons are additions to existing base movements. IWC has a long history of doing that, for example the Destriero Scafusia, and which IWC alumni Richard Habring continues with his namesake watches.
The Tourbillon Hand-Wound is exactly what its name indicates. It’s a limited edition in platinum or rose gold, with F. A. Jones’ signature on the dial. If I were a watch designer I’d take away the signature and close the dial, leaving the tourbillon visible only through the rear. But then again it is easier to sell an exposed tourbillon than an invisible one, and there are a few hundred of these to sell.
Tourbillon Hand-Wound platinum
Tourbillon Hand-Wound rose gold
The other tourbillon is the Tourbillon Mystère Rétrograde. Available in platinum or rose gold, this features a retrograde date and power reserve. Inside sits an automatic movement with a 7 day power reserve.
Tourbillon Mystère Rétrograde rose gold
Tourbillon Mystère Rétrograde platinum
I prefer this to the hand-wound tourbillon. The two displays on the dial fill up some of the space, and because they are differently sized and eccentrically positioned, they give the watch a more imaginative air. Also, I prefer the slightly more complex case of the automatic tourbillon. It sits in a case similar to that used for the 7 day Portuguese, while the Tourbillon Hand-Wound uses a slimmer case like that of the Vintage Collection Portuguese.
The third complicated model is the Grande Complication. 20 years after its launch the IWC Grande Complication, based on a Valjoux 7750 no less, remains a clever piece of engineering that simplified the traditional grande complication.
IWC has now put it in an enormous 45 mm case which unfortunately gives it a very wide dial. This is compounded by the fact that the Portuguese line is characterised by thin bezels and lots of dial area. As a result the sub-dials are clustered in the centre and this unfortunately reminds me of the enormous Zenith Grande Complications with tiny El Primero-based movements.
Besides the new models, a couple of existing models in the Portuguese collection were updated with new dials, including the Chronograph which is now available in rose gold with a grey dial.
Also, the Portuguese Perpetual Calendar is now offered with the option of a dark blue dial and a white gold case. The dial is a dark, flat blue, not the lighter tone of the Laureus watches. I like this new dial; it is discreet and reduces the impact of the 44 mm case. This watch is wholly characteristic of IWC – an innovative movement paired with a restrained design.
Though the Portuguese collection was the primary recipient of new models, the Da Vinci collection enjoyed the addition of the Chronograph Ceramic. I never liked the Da Vinci case, it seemed to me like an attempt to be different while trying to reuse the case shape of the vintage Da Vinci while trying to make a complicated case that could fill a long press release. Surprisingly, this ceramic version – ceramic case, titanium pushers and crown – looks great.
The dial is multi-levelled and aside from a red “60”, it is monochromatic. It reminds me of Darth Vader, which is never a bad thing for a male sports watch. Its case dimensions are slightly larger than the metal case Da Vinci chronograph, this Darth Vader watch is slightly larger at 44 by 53 mm. Oddly enough this is my favourite of the 2010 collection, along with the blue Portuguese perpetual. This will certainly be the first of more sporty looking Da Vinci models. Taking the line in that direction will likely make sell as well as IWC’s other collections.
Lastly, the regular Da Vinci chronograph has been given a guilloche dial, first seen on the Kurt Klaus limited edition. This is an improvement in my opinion; it balances the complexity of the case.