When I worked at Coca-Cola, there was a colleague of mine who had an IWC watch. He was based in Hong Kong and obviously knew his watches. At the time, I was plugging away with my very nice Rolex GMT IIc but was blissfully unaware of the WIS condition lurking in my body, preparing to spring just a few years later.
I’ve always thought IWC watches were the bomb. Their looks are timeless, their quality at a level unsurpassed by most brands and they seem to hold their values fairly well (as compared to other brands in the Richemont stable.
The Portuguese is, in my opinion, one of the classic watch designs. The big dial, applied Arabic numbers, almost bezel-less design, simple pushers and appropriate-sized lugs make this a dress watch that doesn’t always have to be dressy.
My version here is an older model, the IW371446 with the Valjoux 7750 movement. The newer Portuguese gets the in-house movement and a date, but also gets a pretty substantial price bump.
My version also has the blue applied numbers, blued hands and blue leather strap with the standard stainless steel IWC strap. The back of the watch is all-business – no display here. But there’s enough glass on the front of this watch – providing a nice shadow line and the ability to see the second hash marks on the rehaut.
This is definitely one of the most-worn watches in my collection and a watch I never see myself selling or trading.
WHAT I LIKE:
- Classic style that is timeless
- Comfortable deployant buckle and strap
- Non-Proprietary movement that most any watchmaker can service
NOT SO MUCH:
- My strap is less-blue now, for some reason. The strap is mostly black with a little blue color.
- No date (remedied with the new Portuguese with in-house movement)
WATCH SPECIFICATIONS:
MODEL NAME: IWC Portuguese Chronograph Automatic
REFERENCE NUMBER: IW371446
MOVEMENT: Caliber 79350 (Valjoux 7750) (28,800bph, 44 hour reserve)
CASE SIZE: 41mm
WATER RESISTANCE: 30m/100ft
OTHER REVIEW: http://www.escapementmagazine.com/articles/iwc-portugiesier-chronograph-reference-3714-watch-review-by-escapement.html/#
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