IWC Release. "Paranal, Chile, 27 August 2011 – Today, in the middle of the Atacama Desert in Chile, IWC Schaffhausen presented a technological masterpiece of Haute Horlogerie to journalists from all over the world.
After ten years of intensive research, the Swiss watch manufacturer has succeeded in uniting solar time with sidereal time, together with astronomical displays, in a single watch. The result is a fascinating universal work of art which comes with a wealth of surprising complications and new technical features. The Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia is the most complex timepiece ever created by IWC."
Measure of time. We measure time time is based on the length of the average solar day; but for observation of the stars, the factor that counts is the sidereal day, from the Latin sidus, for star. The two types of day, however, differ in length. The average solar day lasts exactly 24 hours and measures the average time between the sun’s passage over a given meridian. The reference for a sidereal day is an infinitely distant star, which is exactly perpendicular to the observation point at the beginning and the end of the period during which it is observed. It therefore measures the time taken for the earth to complete a rotation around its own axis. And because the earth not only turns around its own axis but also describes an arc around the sun, a sidereal day is about four minutes shorter than an average solar day.
IWC Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia Ref. 5041. In order to measure both solar and sideral time, the IWC Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia has a 24-hour display located at the 12 o’clock position of the dial with its own hour and minute hands. Conventional time is displayed by the large hour and minute hands. To ensure accurate timekeeping a tourbillon movement is used, with the highly complicated mechanism being displayed on the dial of the watch. Continuous seconds are shown by a tourbillon mounted on a ball bearing at the 9 o’clock position.
The IWC Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia is powered by a hand-wound IWC built 94900 calibre featuring a constant power mechanism, which compensates for the continuous depletion of energy in the barrels and transmits a steady trickle of energy to the balance. The watch has a four-day power reserve, beating 18,000 vibrations per hour.
Celestial chart. On the back of the watch features a celestial chart and perpetual calendar. The calendar is shown in the form of a circular cut-out and counts the days of the year continuously: the 1st of January is day 1, the 31st of December day 365; or, in the case of a leap year – indicated by the letters LY, number 366. This is joined, on the edge of the case back, by a further display that shows the current time of day, the sidereal time as well as sunrise and sunset with arrows in a 24-hour rhythm. At the centre, is the night sky, with the horizon, engraved in yellow.
Case. The IWC Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia is a large watch with a 46mm case17.5mm tall. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters. Consistent with its elegant character, the IWC Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia is supplied on a black leather strap with a folding clasp.
This is truly a fine creation by IWC.
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. 
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