IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar Boutique Edition

BentN shares his acquisition of an IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar Boutique Edition, detailing his journey to finding the ideal complicated watch. His post highlights the personal considerations that go into selecting a high-complication timepiece and compares it with other contenders.

While I think the two-moon model is also fantastic, I have personally always been looking for the one moon, preferably the white dial rose gold version. Now, the Boutique didn't have this one in at my decision-time, so I guess the Boutique edition was my destiny then. The steel version surely has some benefits too, like blending more in as an everyday watch than a colored gold version would do. Surely safer, especially up here in the cold North.

Btw, here is the original watch following me on the trip. For the rest for this trip it has been in the bag, but surely these two watches complement each other so perfectly. One Rolex - a little flashy with its Two-tone, and a more anonymous, but much complicated IWC. And...I just wouldn't jump into the pool with this IWC

Another close "contender" for a Perpetual Calendar watch for me, was the Glashutte Senator PPC. I almost picked it up the day before I ended up with this IWC. Totally, the IWC won this time and I am so happy with my choice.

Here the GO PPC is under strong consideration together with 3 variants of the Panomatic Lunar. I can say, IF I had picked up anything other than a Perpetual Calendar now, the blue Panomatic would have been on my wrist now. Next time. But I must admit, I really had a hard time leaving that blue German thing at the shop.

I have already managed to snap off bunch images of my new companion and here follow some of them. Sorry for the numbers of pictures, after all it's just one watch, but I have difficulties to choose. Different environments at least and please hold out with my not so perfect grammar.

On board Thai Airways.

Here, next day it's Tea time at the hotel lobby! (Well, coffee in my case then, he)

Later on the same day, we needed some food, and ended up with some great Chinese food

Some Japanese this time, Gyoza.

Gardens By the Bay was a must visit for us this time. Last time we visited Singapore, the Gardens were just about to be completed. Nice experience.

Ehh, OK, one AP image in this posting then

Also happened to see some interesting creatures nearby. This guy trusted his camouflage, but he seemed a little bit out of his ideal environment.

- and this huge grasshopper having dinner and didn’t seem to care at all.

The typical SG business area by night.

The fantastic light show from MBS.

Finally, time to leave Singapore for now, and suitcases ready to be checked in at Changi Airport.

)

I do however have my own  little "issue" when it comes to this ever so perfect watch and it's mechanism, something I knew before buying.

Here is a theoretical scenario that can occur in real: Its Feb. 28^th a random year. A colleague appoints me the 1^st Mars for a meeting. "Great I am thinking, that's tomorrow". Or, is it? It depends if it’s a leap year or not of course.  Ahh, not an issue, I do have a Perpetual Calendar watch on my wrist, so I know this. Ehh, out of luck. Looking down on my wrist I see a superb watch showing me the year, Month, date, time and Moon Phase. BUT I do not know IF this is a leap year or not! No, that I will only know on the day after the 28^th February - whatever date shows up on the dial

So, OK, the good thing is that I would not be too late for the meeting, but on the other hand IF the watch had showed me if this was a leap year or not - I wouldn’t have had to dress and go out for the unnecessary waiting after all. Well, well. The GO would have solved my puzzle mentioned above, just waiting for the red dot to arrive - but at the cost of not showing the full year etc. Simply two completely different watches. Maybe very stupid thoughts. And as I mentioned, theoretical

This watch will be with me for many years. A complicated watch like this - yet so amazingly easy to set and operate - is just so perfect. I guess it's a reason why this IWC complication has become so famous. Simple operation of a complicated mechanism.

In fact, when picking up the watch, it was over one year "after schedule". But apart for some sore fingertips from slowly turning the crown and listening to the "clicks", it was a breeze to set as everything follows automatically. No need to think - and that suits me very well. Very, haha.

Many thanks for reading to the end.

All best