The Gold-Silver Tango: IWC Releases Updated Portugieser 40 and 42 Automatic Variants

Last year, IWC Schaffhausen dominated the luxury watch landscape with their striking reimagining of the perpetual calendar. The perpetual calendar, a symbol of haute horology, captivated both aficionados and collectors with its capacity to track day, date, month, year, and moon phase without requiring manual adjustments for decades. This release not only proved IWC's ability of crafting long-lasting mechanical wonders, but it also established a new standard for contemporary watchmaking, cementing the company's position as an industry leader. Now, the luxury timepiece maker has quietly unveiled the Portugieser Automatic 40 (Ref. IW358404) and Portugieser Automatic 42 (Ref. IW501706) variants, housed in gold cases and featuring silver-plated dials. 

The warm tones of gold contrast well with the cool, understated elegance of the silver-plated dials, resulting in a harmonious combination of luxury and refinement. This combination is versatile, easily moving from formal to casual occasions and complementing a variety of wardrobe options. 

GMT India examines the watches in detail.

Portugieser Automatic 40

This 40 mm watch has a gold case, lugs, and a crown. The silver-plated dial is manufactured through a complex process comprising 60 individual steps. The unusual optical depth is created by applying 15 layers of transparent lacquer, which is fine-ground and then polished to a high-gloss finish. The second subdial at 6 o’clock, milled into both the brass blank and the lacquer layer, gets a spiral finish.

A special printing process further enhances the three-dimensional effect. Finally, the golden Arabic hour markers are individually mounted on the dial by hand. The Portugieser Automatic 40 is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82200 caliber. Featuring parts made of zirconium oxide ceramic, the automatic Pellaton winding system builds up a power reserve of 60 hours in the mainspring. The watch is fitted with a brown alligator leather strap from Santoni, sporting an 18 ct gold pin buckle.

Portugieser Automatic 42

This 42 mm gold-cased watch has a gold crown and lugs. The silver-plated dial of this watch has also been created using the same process mentioned for the 40 mm model above. A 60-second subdial can be spotted at 9 o’clock, a power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock, and a date window at 6 o’clock. The hour, minute hands are in gold as well, and leaf-shaped. 

The Portugieser Automatic 42 variant is powered by the IWC-manufactured 52011 caliber, which is elaborately finished with circular Geneva stripes. The Pellaton winding system is reinforced with virtually wear-free zirconium oxide ceramic components and builds up a power reserve of seven days (168 hours) in two barrels. The watch is fitted with a brown alligator leather strap from Santoni, featuring an 18 ct gold folding clasp.