IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44

Quick specs IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44
Price: starting at € 50.000 | CHF 45’000 | $ 46,500 | £ 41,000
Size: 44 mm
Reference:
IW503701 (gold, silver dial)
IW503702 (gold, black dial)
IW503703 (white gold, blue dial)
IW503704 (white gold, sand dial)

The new IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 has had a serious make-over as the case has been reconstructed. Not only that, also the sapphire crystal on top is double box-glass now. Which means it has rounded sides on both the outside and inside for a better processing of the light falling on the dial. And this new Portugieser comes with four new dial colors.

Its case is 44 millimeters, and either from a special 5N gold or white gold. The 5N is special because IWC calls it Armor Gold, as they transform the microstructure of the alloy. This makes it significantly harder and more wear resistant as conventional 5N gold. But let’s take a quick look at the history of their perpetual calendar.

The history of the IWC Perpetual Calendar

The first perpetual calendar by IWC was developed in the 1980s and in 1985 they introduce the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar with refence IW3750. Only in 2003 the complication was presented in the Portugieser with reference IW5021. Just like the new one it has a double moon phase – for the northern and southern hemisphere – together with a perpetual calendar with a four digits year indication. Furthermore, it also shows the power reserve. The new model has some little design changes on the dial, but the output is still the same.

There are four new dial colors for the Perpetual Calendar 44. There is a silver dial, called Silver Moon. Then there is an obsidian dial, which is a very black glass dial we’ve also seen on the IWC Portugieser Hand-wound Tourbillon Day & Night for instance. The third variant is the bright light blue dial, called Horizon Blue and lastly there is a sand-colored dial called Dune. All are treated with 15 layers of transparent lacquer and polished to a high gloss.

The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 has a power reserve of 168 hours, or 7 days

Inside this Portugieser is the automatic IWC caliber 52616 with a mechanical program that requires a minor adjustment now and then. Only in centuries divisible by 100 when the leap year is skipped it is necessary. Which is for example in the years 2100 or 2200. The moon phase has a special reduction gear so it will only deviate one day every 577.5 years. You can admire all the tech through the sapphire case back, where you can also see the 18-carat 5N gold rotor. The power reserve is 168 hours.

All the new IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 models come on a strap made by the Italian leather specialist Santoni. They are from alligator leather or calfskin (Horizon Blue version) and are secured by a gold or white gold folding clasp. The white gold models are about a 1,000 more expensive. And if you want a calendar that even goes further than perpetual, take a look at this IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar. It’s triple the price of the 44 Perpetual, but something even more special.