Portugieser Automatic 40

First introduced to the collection in 2020, the Portugieser Automatic 40 presents the characteristic Portugieser design with a more compact case size of 40 millimeters. In a nod to the first Portugieser, Reference 325 from 1939, it features a clean and open dial with the small seconds at 6 o'clock. This version features an 18-carat 5N gold case with a diameter of 40.4 millimeters, an Obsidian dial, and gold-plated hands and gold appliques. The watch appears elegant and refined thanks to a thoroughly reworked case construction with a thinner casing ring and box-glass sapphire crystals on the front and the back. A highlight is the intricately crafted dial, which is manufactured in a complex process comprising 60 individual steps. The unusual optical depth is created by applying 15 layers of transparent lacquer, which is fine-ground and then polished to a high gloss finish. The subdial is milled into both the brass blank and the lacquer layer. A special printing process further enhances the three-dimensional effect. Finally, the appliques are individually mounted on the dial by hand. The Portugieser Automatic 40 is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82200 caliber. Featuring parts made of zirconium oxide ceramic, the automatic Pellaton winding system builds up a power reserve of 60 hours in the mainspring. The watch is fitted with a black alligator leather strap from Santoni with an 18-carat 5N gold pin buckle.