Few modern watch designs are more recognizable than the IWC Portugieser Chronograph. Its beautiful design, golden dimensions and relatively affordable price have made it a long-time favourite in the IWC catalogue.
After its launch in 1998, IWC didn’t change the design of the Portugieser Chronograph for the next 20 years, and there’s a reason for that: don’t screw up the success. Sure, it’s big – it’s 41 mm diameter and slender bezel mean it’s big – but the minimal design and relatively thin case (12.5 mm) make it perfectly balanced exact replica watches. Inside, the Valjoux 7750 caliber runs reliably.
What is so striking about the Portugieser Chronograph is how striking it is, and that is what has made it stand out over the years. There are only a few elements in the design – the finely shaped Feuille hands, the simple application of Arabic numerals, the round case – but all of them are executed in an unobtrusive manner, with the utmost attention to every detail. For two decades, while many watchmakers seemed to be adding more elements, millimetres, everything, IWC simply played the same tune over and over again. We experienced the Portugieser Chronograph for ourselves back in 2015 and marveled then at how unchanging it was frankgohlke.com, and IWC still left it untouched for five years.
Finally, in 2023, IWC introduced the Portugieser Chronograph ref. 3716, obsoleting the original model. 3714 brought a new, upgraded movement to the model line. It’s a nice upgrade to a modern classic, but sometimes there’s nothing like the original.
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