VIDEO: A classical beauty – IWC’s Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years” 

Felix Scholz

When you’ve been around for 150 years you can afford to take the long view when it comes to the vagaries of fashion and trends, and start to take some perspective. Perhaps this is why IWC’s celebratory anniversary collection is jam-packed full of classics, like this Portugieser. A round gold watch in the classic style, with a beautifully simple dial design — Arabic numerals and leaf hands look the business, especially on the rich white lacquer dial that is a hallmark of the “150 years” limited editions. The only thing that bucks convention is the size — at 43mm, the case is a little on the large size for traditional tastes, but even then it fits into the narrative of the Portugieser, originally conceived as a pocket watch movement in a wristwatch. Really, though, what all this means is a watch that’s simple, and simply stunning.

IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years” Australian pricing and availability

IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years”, limited to 250 pieces, $27,100