IWC’s famous Portuguiser Collection hosts one of the most complicated and extraordinary timepieces of the brand; Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde. This stunning, platinum case time piece got our hearts skip a beat with it’s fascinating design and admiring craftsmanship.
The Portuguiser Legend starts with two businessmen from Portugal ordering IWC to design custom made time pieces. The collection’s current status among the luxury watch world became a benchmark regarding especially the dress watch category.
IWC classifies the Portugieser Collection as a “dress watch” product line however, some of the models with greater sizes sport a totally different wrist presence. Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde fits this situation nicely due to it’s size which allows the watch to suit with smart-casual and even casual styles perfectly. The quality feeling of Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde is at the top level due to it’s breathtaking case made of platinum.
The front sapphire crystal is AR coated on both sides making the watch’s readability at the utmost level however, the outer coating is highly prone to scratches. The back side sapphire has no coating.
We have a pretty over sized watch here. 44,2mm x 15,3mm case has a rock solid feeling due to the platinum structure but the weight is not a problem at all here as the watch wears quite comfortably on the wrist. In fact, the size of the case is not an outcome of a radical design but more likely a necessity as the watch’s movement is a big one too.
The movement is one of the parts that defines the watch mostly. The in-house caliber Ref. 51900 fascinates the user not only with the technical details but with the looks as well. The efficient winding system Pellaton ( patented to IWC ) offers 7 days of power reserve when fully wound. The power reserve status can be monitored with a dedicated indicator on the dial. Another neat feature of the watch is the retrograde date display which operates in perfect harmony with the power reserve indicator. The retrograde date display’s hand jumps back to the beginning after the last day of each month.
We see the tourbillon cage of the movement ( which completes a full tour per minute ) located at 12 o’clock position. You practically find your self staring at the visual feast provided by the ticking tourbillon.
The back side of the caliber is a piece of art itself. 44 jewelled movement beats at 28800vph. The pink gold oscillating rotor is wide enough to cover half of the movement without blocking it’s beauty due to it’s perforated design. One of my personal favorite details is the flame blued screw set.
Neither the silver colored dial, nor the hands feature luminous material. The watch is rated WR30M.
The leather strap of the watch is produced by Santoni which fits the hi-end character of the watch nicely. The high quality strap comes in black color in order to suit the rest of the watch. The folding clasp is an IWC classic. Robust clasp feels bomb proof thanks to it’s platinum material.
IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde offers a perfect combination of precious materials with perfect design and top of the line craftsmanship. Mainly due to it’s size, the watch is an absolute eye catcher on the wrist therefore it may not be the best choice for users who want to keep a low profile. On the other hand, it’s a spot on for the watch enthusiasts with a good taste in “ haute horlogerie “ timepieces.
