IWC PORTOGHESE

IWC Portuguese history begins in 1939, when the International Watch Co. received an order from two importers Portuguese for a series of precision wristwatches accurate like marine chronometers.The necessary precision could be had only by using mechanical pocket watches. Thus it was born the first Portuguese (Portugieser in German) that with a diameter of 43 mm. it was considered huge compared to the small clocks in use at that time in the Art Deco style. The IWC Portuguese, however, was the first wristwatch to mount a pocket watch movement (type Savonnette caliber 74) and to be able to boast the same precision. But the numbers were clear. Sales were so low as not to warrant a full-scale production and this model seemed destined to decline. The 1993 saw the redemption of this clock during the 125th anniversary of the company that introduced a limited edition of the new Portuguese. The Ref. 5441 had a case of 42 mm diameter and 9 mm thick, a silver dial with arabic numerals and hour markers and hands shot 'Feuilles de sauge' (sage) in addition to the small seconds counter at 6. Later IWC presented the manual split-seconds chronograph Ref. 3712 followed by Ref. 3714 Chronograph Automatic with its elegant and sporty dial and its case of 40.9 mm has become the most successful watch ever produced by IWC.