IWC - The Geneva Watch Auction: SIX Geneva Friday, November 10, 2017 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: IWC
    Year: 1946
    Reference No: 325
    Movement No: 955'178
    Case No: 1'117'240
    Model Name: Portugieser
    Material: Stainless steeel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 98, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle
    Dimensions: 42mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by IWC Extract from the Archives confirming sale of the present watch on January 31, 2008.

  • Catalogue Essay

    During the late 1930s, IWC received a rather unusual order from a customer in Portugal, requesting a wristwatch with the same case size and accuracy of a pocket watch. To meet the needs of this client, IWC created an ultra thin and oversized wristwatch. The result was a timepiece of utmost legibility and the highest precision.

    While the very first Portugiesers were fitted with the caliber 74, IWC eventually switched to caliber 98 in the 1940s, which we see on the present watch.

    The present watch is distinguished by its luminous Arabic numerals and luminous hands. Portugiesers were usually fitted with leaf hands, making this example particularly rare. Research shows that the present watch was delivered to the wholesaler Kuchàr & Wittmann in Bratislava, Slovakia on April 24th 1946.

    Absolutely ahead of its time, the Portugieser is today an incredibly iconic watch that is integral to the DNA of IWC. The firm has constantly reinvented with model with a variety of complications, such as a chronograph function.

  • Artist Biography

    IWC

    Swiss • 1868

    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.

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Σ214

Ref. 325
A rare and oversized stainless steel wristwatch with luminous Arabic numerals and hands

1946
42mm. Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF30,000 - 60,000 
€25,900-51,800
$31,000-62,000

Sold for CHF52,500

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
+41 22 317 81 89
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: SIX

Geneva Auctions 11 - 12 November 2017