Introducing Two New In-House Hand-Wounds From fake IWC

Today we have additions to two of IWC’s most well-known watch families – the Portuguese and the Portofino – from the Watches&Wonders fair in Hong Kong. Both are simple hand-wound models that features clean dials, in-house movements, and nice finishing. While much of IWC’s effort the past few years seems to have been put behind its sport watches, these are the modern counterparts to the classic fake IWC dress watches of the 50s and 60s.

This year for IWC is the year of the Ingenieur, with the whole family having received a massive update at SIHH in January. But, IWC also gave the Portuguese chronograph an in-house movement in the Portuguese Chronograph Classic (full Week on the Wrist review here) , and now we have two more updates for you.

The first is a new take on the basic Portuguese, the Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days. In some ways, this is a blending of the best elements of the Portuguese Hand-Wound (Ref. 5454) and the Portuguese Automatic (Ref. 5001). You have the massive 8-day (192 hour) power reserve that is similar to the 7-days you’ll find in the ref. 5001, as well as also having an in-house movement with a date. But, like the ref. 5454 you get a more restrained dial layout and hand-winding, which gives the wearer a more tangible connection to the eight day power reserve.

The Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days comes in both red gold (20,000 CHF) and stainless steel (10,500 CHF), with silvered or black dial options. All models have the hands and applied numerals you’re used to seeing from the Portuguese family. The power reserve indicator is hidden though, housed replica watches on the in-house calibre 59215 movement itself, which you can see through the sapphire caseback. Unlike with many 43mm watches, the movement really fills out the case nicely here.

We also have the Portofino Hand-Wound Big Date, a not-dissimilar counterpart to the Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days. Though the movement still features a manually-wound eight-day power reserve, the calibre 59230 also has a big date complication at 12 o’clock that utilizes two discs. Aesthetically, it very much resembles the Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days (Ref. 5101), but with the addition of this large date taking center stage.

Also, unlike the ref. 5101, this watch will be available only in white gold (24,000 CHF) and red gold (23,000 CHF), and only at IWC boutiques. Slate and silver-plated dial options are available and red accents adorn both on the power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock and the subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock. At 45mm it’s certainly large, but this allows the dial to remain nicely spaced out and legible.

Visit IWC online for all the details.