The IWC Portugieser Chronograph Burgundy Dial IW371616 is a proud addition to a lineage that can be traced back to the early days of modern watchmaking. Still, for style and feel, it’s hard to beat the Portugieser, especially when you consider the price. For something outside the IWC family, you could try a Zenith Chronomaster El Primero. It’s also in the sub-$10k category and also features an in-house movement. But what about the competition? If you’re looking for something else bearing the IWC logo, you might try an equally-iconic chronograph spitfire on for size. So far, you’re probably thinking this watch is pretty sweet, and you’re definitely not wrong for thinking so. The mechanism also allows for hacking the small seconds which allows for more granularly precise watch setting. The balance is adjusted to 5 positions and the pawl winding system is bidirectional. Not only is the movement an impressive piece of engineering, it’s beautifully finished as well it’s rhodium plated, bearing Côtes de Genève and perlage decoration. This calibre has 27 jewels and beats at a frequency of 28,800 VPH. There is no doubt that this feat of engineering lends considerable cache to this striking timepiece. The manufacture caused quite a stir when it announced it would eschew the supplied chronograph movements it had long relied upon in favor of making a completely in-house column wheel chronograph. This column wheel chronograph movement is based on the IWC 69370. Turning the watch over, another scratch resistant sapphire crystal offers a glimpse at the in-house automatic IWC caliber 69355. The case is stainless steel and the dial is protected by a scratch resistant, anti-glare sapphire crystal. On either side of the crown are mushroom shaped chronograph pushers. Hours and minutes are indicated by the classic polished rhodium plated feuille leaf hands, while the subdials utilize dagger hands. At 9 o’clock is “CHRONOGRAPH AUTOMATIC” while the 3 o’clock side bears the IWC Schaffhausen branding. The outer track of the dial indicates 1/5 second and minute scales. These recessed subdials share the same rich burgundy color as the dial. The two smaller subdials at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock respectively are a 30-minute chronograph totalizer and a constant running seconds. Its powerfully radiant hue provides beautiful contrast with the applied polished steel Arabic numeral hour markers, along with the rhodium plated pip hour and minute indices. This burgundy red dial option is especially eye-catching. Of course, there are other dial color options available in IWC’s Portugieser collection including blue and green. When you think of an IWC Portugieser, you likely imagine a silver plated dial with blued hands and numerals. It comes on a devilishly handsome black alligator leather strap with a steel folding buckle and is water resistant to 20 meters. It’s an automatic watch, featuring a 41mm stainless steel case and chronograph functionality. The model we have in front of us today is practically brand new-IWC released the Portuguese Chronograph IW371616 just last year. While the line has existed for nearly a century, it only exploded in popularity in the 1990s with the release of the 125 th anniversary limited edition Jubilee Portugieser and later still with the 2004 release of the Portugieser Automatic reference 5007. 325 would not only be more precise than most wristwatches available during this period, its large format would prove far more legible. The line was born as the Reference 325 in 1939 at the request of Portuguese wholesalers hoping to meet demand for men’s wristwatches in their native country. This watch is among the latest in a storied lineage of IWC Schaffhausen watches. In this latest installment of The Collective, we’ll be taking a closer look at the design of this special watch as well as the impressive caliber ticking inside. With all the simple sophistication of a classic IWC Portugieser, this deep, wine red dial variation makes a serious statement on the wrist. It’s a stunning take on a timeless watch: the IWC Portugieser Chronograph Burgundy Dial IW371616.
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