Back in in 2010, the Swiss watchmaker IWC launched the Portuguese Tourbillion Hand-Wound Watch which was exclusively produced to pay a tribute to the company’s founder, F. A. Jones. The large flying tourbillion located at 9 o’clock position which occupied nearly one third of the dial’s surface, instantly attracted the watch aficionados.
Referring to the ads by IWC, the Portugieser Tourbillion Hand-Wound is the perfect companion while you are cruising in a beautiful yacht. Interestingly, this was exactly what I felt when I put the watch on my wrist... Moreover, without seeing the ad... Providing an immaculate and bold wrist presence thanks to its size and color scheme, IWC Portugieser Tourbillion Hand-Wound is made for the captains who never leave the steer in every aspect of life.
43mm x 11mm measuring case is made of 18K solid rose gold. It is bigger than a classic dress watch which makes it a perfect choice for the smart casual dressing style users. WR30M rated case features sapphire crystals on both sides. As an IWC classic, the front crystal is AR coated on both sides allowing the dial to look in a lighter tone of blue under certain angles. Despite its useful assist for legibility, AR coating can easily be damaged and show scratches.
The timepiece is powered with the in-house Caliber Ref. 98900. Inspired by the Caliber 98 which had been widely used in the early pocket watches of the brand, the manual winding movement features a tourbillion escapement. The tourbillion cage located at 9 o’clock side of the dial allows the user to watch the tourbillion device. The unit completes a full rotation in one minute. The movement beats at 28800vph. Personally, I would prefer the beat rate to be 3Hz especially for the watches with visuality such as a tourbillion feature. The small seconds hacks when the crown is pulled for setting. Non screw-in crown is pretty comfortable to operate.
IWC Portugieser Tourbillion Hand-Wound is presented on a leather strap crafted by Santini. The strap feels better built then the regular IWC straps in terms of quality and comfort. The classic IWC folding clasp is made of 18K rose gold like the case.
IWC is considered in the mid to high line position in the world of watches and when you add a complicated feature like tourbillion, the expectations got higher accordingly. Considering the price advantage when compared to the rivals from different brands, I could say that I am satisfied with the watch.
To sum up, IWC Portugieser Tourbillion Hand-Wound is a perfect alternative for the ones who want to experience the tourbillion feature from a high class Swiss brand and with a relatively nice price tag.
