Manufacturer: IWC Year: 1943 Reference No: 325 Movement No: 931'893 Case No: 1'087'185 Model Name: Portugieser Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal 74, 16 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel IWC pin buckle Dimensions: 42mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by IWC Certificat stating that the watch has been examined by IWC and confirming delivery of the piece on June 24, 1943
Catalogue Essay
The origins of the IWC Portugieser are somewhat shrouded in myth, but it is widely agreed by scholars that in 1939, Portuguese watch importers – a Mr. Rodrigues and a Mr. Teixeira – made a special request of IWC to create an oversized wristwatch with a highly accurate movement. IWC took up the challenge, utilizing first their pocket watch caliber 74, a manually wound savonette movement with subsidiary seconds and a 54-hour power reserve. The wristwatches of the era were typically quite small, with a 36mm diameter being considered oversized, so a 42mm diameter wristwatch was positively gigantic.
The first reference 325s, now dubbed the "Portugieser", were shipped to Lisbon in 1942 - three year after the original request - to Mr. Rodrigues, later of the firm Rodrigues & Gonçalves, Ltd.
According to IWC, only 304 examples of the reference 325 were produced with the caliber 74, with 690 examples in total produced between 1939 and 1981. The production date of 1943 places the present example among the earliest specimens to come out of the factory, having been delivered the year after IWC began consigning the timepieces.
The IWC Portugieser has been the bastion of the IWC line-up since its introduction. The style has been reinterpreted, the movement improved upon, and complications added and subtracted, but the overall physical profile – a slim and oversized men’s wristwatch with short, broad lugs – has remained the same. It is integral to the DNA of the IWC brand and retains a timeless aesthetic.
The rarity of the present lot should be enough to capture the heart of any collector, but these elements are further enhanced by this Portugieser’s remarkable case condition and beautifully aged dial with luminous Arabic indexes which grants this timepiece an enormous vintage vibe.
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world's leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining high precision with masculine design. Vintage wristwatches such as the oversized Portugieser, Aquatimer, Ingenieur and the B-UHR pilots watch are especially desirable for collectors.