Comments:
IWC Portuguese Minute Repeater White Gold first edition. Pros and cons.
This is a watch I owned in the early 2000's and which I sold after some years...
I got it because of its sheer elegance, its proportions ( 43 mm is a bit big, but with 12, 3 mm height, it is super elegant ), and its manual winding movement which is eye catching.
Therefore, it was my first minute repeater, and I was pretty thrilled to own such a complication which was very rare, at that time.
But I sold it because it sounded too low and the regulator was too noisy. This was obvious to me when I compared it with the new born Jaeger Lecoultre Master Minute Repeater, unveiled in 2005.
Still, a watch which provides a lot of sympathy.
Best,
Nicolas
Hello Nicolas, it is a superb watch, sorry you felt it was not loud enough. I am a fan of this caliber and the design is gorgious. I once owned the 5441 ref manual
and i still have fond memories. Very classy as well.
This message has been edited by amanico on 2018-04-24 02:52:21
This message has been edited by amanico on 2018-04-24 02:52:21
Too kind. I have a good reason to have recognized it quickly... I am hunting one. ;) [nt]
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😀
The only thing that has stopped me was the engraving of the serial number on the side of the case.
It somehow lacks elegance (imho)
Image borrowed from Chrono24 to illustrate.
It somehow lacks elegance (imho)
Image borrowed from Chrono24 to illustrate.
It would have been better, true, but it is better than on the dial! ) [nt]
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At one time or another I had the "real" Portugieser (c. 1943),
the Jubilee in RG, and the "Pisa" steel Jubilee. They are all big but they are perfectly proportioned watches. And the movement of the Jubilee is probably the finest that IWC has ever made. Alas, I moved on. Your Repeater was a beauty-very special.
Yes, it was a superb watch, and probably one of my favorite IWC. As for the Jubilée, I think one day I will get one, in steel. It is such a classic, an icon! [nt]
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Nice story Nicolas,
the point IMO is, it is a modulrepeater, you see nothing from the repeater. We know this from english and german pocket-watch-movments, where the repeating mechanism is between dial and basic movement. A wristwatch is smaller than a pocket-watch, so you here not so much.
This is the greatest challenge of watchmaking in our time, make a small repeatingmovment what the peoble can here on the next table in the restaurant. We know all the efforts from JlC o Chopard and others, to make them louder, but the stone of the wise is not found till now.
Best Walter
Well, there are minute repeater wrist watches which sound very nicely, with a good ratio between richness and loudness. JLC, Patek, it seems AP but I still have to listen to it.
I heard some Vacherons which were exquisite, too.
Best, my friend.
Nicolas
Best, my friend.
Nicolas
I have looked at this model so many times
but the fact that minute repeater complication is a module and not really integrated into the movement has always been a deal breaker for me. If you can't see the hammers strike the gongs - what's the point of having a sapphire case-back? I am sure the modular nature of the movement has a lot to do with the acoustics.
Maybe this is the explanation, Northener. Thanks for your feedback. [nt]
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