IWC Chrono-Automatic

Elegant simplicity. Most chronograph watches are bulky decidedly sporty looking watches integrating a tachometer (to measure speed), telemeter (to determine distance) or some other scale to be used in conjunction with the chronograph function of the watch. The IWC Portuguese Chrono-Automatic does not it of that. IWC has endowed its Portuguese Chrono-Automatic with a decidedly elegant case to house its chronograph movement.

Maritime Explorers. Part of this can be traced back to the history of the Portuguese line of watches. The story goes that in the 1930's, two Portuguese businessmen requested IWC to construct a wristwatch with a large dial to make it easier to read. At that time mens watches were smaller than they are today, with typical case diameter being around 31mm's. IWC started producing these oversized watches during the 1940's, among them the Portuguese line. The Portuguese line was not too popular, and eventually disappeared from the IWC line-up.

In 1993 the Portuguese was relaunched, this time, the line taking its inspiration from maritime navigation. From Bartholomue Dias who was the first European to sail around the Western tip of Africa to Ferdinand Magellan who led the first successful attempt to circumnavigate the globe (though Magellan himself did not complete the trip), Portugal has had a long line of maritime explorers and was heavily engaged in maritime trade.

The IWC Portuguese line has a wide variety of watches from Regulateur watches to complex Tourbillon and Perpetual Calendar watches. While the Regulateur has a strong connection to maritime history, the rest of the line-up has little connection with sailing. The single trait that connects the Portugeuse line is every watch in its line-up is designed to with a decidedly elegant, case with a complication making the watch clearly a cut above the typical watch design. This line-up of watches is so exotic, the simplest watch in the line-up is a chronograph.

IWC Chrono-Automatic. The IWC Portugeuse Chrono-Automatic is powered by the IWC Caliber 79350 movement. The Caliber 79350 is a self winding movement which produces 28,800 vibrations per hour and which has a 44 hour power reserve.

The face of the watch has two sub-dials. The one on top is used in conjunction with the main seconds hand to measure intervals of time of up to 30 minutes. The sub-dial below displays continues seconds. The pushers on the right side of the watch are the typical start/stop and reset buttons of a chronograph.

The watch has a 40.9 mm diameter case which is water resistant to 30 meters. The watch is available with white gold, rose gold and stainless steel cases, with complementing leather straps.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.