The origins of the Portugieser date back to the late 1930s, when IWC Schaffhausen used a high-precision pocket watch movement to create a distinctively large wristwatch with chronometer precision. First introduced in 2000, the Portugieser Automatic 42 features an open, balanced dial, with a power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock and the small seconds positioned on the opposite side at 9 o’clock. This version features a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42.4 millimeters, a silver-plated dial, and blue hands and appliques. The watch appears elegant and refined thanks to a thoroughly reworked case construction with a thinner casing ring and box-glass sapphire crystals on the front and the back. A highlight is the intricately crafted dial, which is manufactured in 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 subdials are milled into both the brass blank and the lacquer layer. A special printing process further enhances the three-dimensional effect. Finally, the appliques are individually mounted on the dial by hand. The Portugieser Automatic 42 is powered by the IWC-manufactured 52011 caliber, which is elaborately finished with circular graining and 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 blue alligator leather strap with a stainless steel folding clasp.
