Journalist Shigeru Sugawara, who has covered the watch industry for over 30 years, writes in his webChronos series "Swiss Time Travel: Reminiscing on the 1990s." In this seventh installment, he traces the Portugieser, which has now grown into one of IWC's signature collections, from its earliest models to best-selling models and models equipped with perpetual calendars. Along with detailed cutouts of a Portugieser Automatic Chronograph that Sugawara actually purchased in the 1990s, as well as advertising cutouts with catchphrases that would be considered controversial today, we look back on the history of the collection at the time, when its image was different from its current one.
Photographs & Text by Shigeru Sugawara
[Article published on January 27, 2025]
Encountering the Portuguese Chronograph
I first saw the Portugieser in person at the Basel Fair in 1995. Unlike the previous year, which featured Pilot's Watches, this year IWC focused on complex mechanisms, focusing on the Da Vinci Rattrapante, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Da Vinci. One of these was the Portugieser Minute Repeater. However, compared to the Grande Complication, Il Destriero Scafusia, and the sleek, modern design of the Da Vinci, the Portugieser Minute Repeater, like the 125th anniversary model released in 1993 with a pocket watch movement, seemed rather unsophisticated and, frankly, didn't interest me much.
On the other hand, the one that caught my eye was the "Portugieser Chrono Rattrapante" (the name at the time). While based on the "Portugieser" concept of a large wristwatch, this model, like the "Da Vinci" from that year, featured a split-seconds function. The split-seconds function had been featured in the "Doppel Chronograph" of the "Pilot's Watch" series since 1992, and creating uniquely complicated watches by modifying the ETA7750 and arranging modules was a technique that IWC had been using since the late 1980s.
Converting the world of the sky into the world of the sea?
Even so, IWC's idea of adapting the split-seconds function from its pilot's watches for the maritime world of the Portugieser is quite ambitious. Along with the precise complications, the layout of the subdials was also noteworthy. The neatly arranged vertical counter at 12 o'clock and the small seconds at 6 o'clock are somehow reminiscent of a traditional marine chronometer. This is only a vague suggestion, though. Perhaps this is because the original prewar Portugieser is associated with the Portuguese and navigation. While no detailed explanation of the design was given during coverage at the Basel Fair, it's unlikely that the result was simply a matter of removing the 12-hour counter from the three-hour counter ETA 7750. However, the resulting design is undoubtedly a perfect match, achieving a perfect design that required no further modification from the start.
A best-seller born step by step
The first Portugieser Chrono Rattrapante was released in 18K rose gold, followed by platinum and stainless steel models at the Basel Fair in 1996. 1997 was even more interesting. A Japan-only version of the Portugieser Chrono Rattrapante was specially created for IWC's large fanbase in Japan. The stainless steel case, see-through caseback, and two chronograph seconds hands, each colored blue and red, were a rare and irresistible feature for enthusiasts. The most talked-about model was the introduction of the Portugieser Chrono Automatic (then called the "Portugieser Chrono Automatic"), which eliminated the split-seconds function and simplified the movement. The IWC caliber 79240, also a cleverly adapted ETA 7750 movement, was the caliber 76240, which had been modified to manual winding and incorporate a split-seconds mechanism, but this time it was reverted to its original automatic winding configuration. By the way, the prices in 1997 were 135 million yen each for the 18K white and rose gold models, and about half that price at 650,000 yen for the stainless steel model. IWC's strategy of releasing timepieces in a planned manner based on market reaction was a great success, as it established a lineage of classics that continues to this day.
Ladies, keep your hands off me!
When the Portugieser Chrono Rattrapante was first released, it was nicknamed the "Iron Lady." What was the idea behind this "Iron Lady"? While it's unclear whether this was intentional, perhaps the watch was targeted not only at men who loved mechanics, but also at women from the start. There's evidence to support this. A contemporary advertisement for the Portugieser Chrono Automatic featured the following German tagline: "Women smoke our Cohiba. They drive our Harley. They drink our Lagavulin. At least they don't touch our IWC!" The "we" in this context, of course, refers to men. Modern women, like men, enjoy cigars, motorcycles, and Scotch, and their next target is an IWC watch, which is a humorous and amusing trope.
It's fascinating how this watch, with its large 40.9mm case and chronograph, subsequently became popular among fashion-conscious European women. I was once impressed by the idea of seeing many female staff and guests at an IWC event overseas sporting colorful straps. It's amazing how simply changing the original black strap transforms a watch from a rugged men's watch into a stylish women's watch. Perhaps the chronograph also served as an accent to create an image of an intelligent, active woman.
Evolving into the pinnacle of perpetual calendars
Finally, let me briefly touch on the subsequent evolution of the watch. In the late 1990s, the Portugieser was released as a small, automatic model with three or two hands and a small seconds hand, but I recall it was unpopular, perhaps due to its plain, unsatisfying design. Following the chronograph, the Portugieser Automatic 2000 (then the name) was released in 2000 and featured the large, in-house Caliber 5000 movement, featuring Pellaton automatic winding, a single barrel, and a power reserve of approximately seven days. This was the origin of that popular model, which received a modern update last year. The other model was the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar, released in 2003. It was an ambitious model based on the in-house Caliber 5000 and added IWC's iconic perpetual calendar. I recall Kurt Klaus holding a model and speaking enthusiastically about it at the Geneva Salon (SIHH) back then. It is truly moving to see this trend continue into the unparalleled masterpiece that is the Portugieser Eternal Calendar in 2024.
Shigeru Sugawara's profile
Born in 1954. Watch journalist. In the 1980s, he covered France and Italy for fashion and jewelry magazines. Since the 1990s, he has focused on watches, covering the annual watch fair held in Switzerland for over 25 years. He has written and published numerous articles in watch magazines such as "Chronos Japan" and general magazines. He also translates books on watches.
