IWC's Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, offered in a limited edition of just 100 pieces, combines no less than three complications.
A limited edition of 100 pieces is the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, new from IWC which combines three complications: a one-minute flying tourbillon located at 6 o'clock on the dial, a retrograde date display at 9 o'clock, and a flyback chronograph showing chronograph hours and minutes displayed together on a totalizer at 12 o'clock.
The dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with an interior and exterior anti-reflective treatment. The hands are leaf-shaped and the Arabic numeral markers are combined with geometric markers.
The IWC-manufactured 89900 calibre
The movement is visible from the back side, thanks to the use of a sapphire glass porthole.
Turning the watch on the back side, however, reveals the IWC-manufactured 89900 calibre (28,800 vibrations per hour), self-winding, with a solid gold skeletonised oscillating weight. Its one-minute flying tourbillon consists of 56 components and weighs only 0.675 grams.
The silicon anchor and escapement wheel are treated with IWC's exclusive Diamond Shell technology. This special treatment reduces friction and improves the flow of energy in the movement, thus contributing to the generous 68-hour power reserve.
This calibre is also finished in côtes de Genève and perlage. The same case back (closed with four screws) is engraved with the progressive numbering for the limited edition. A variety of materials are used, from the 43.5 mm case in 18-carat Armor Gold, which offers considerably more hardness than common gold alloys, to the Obsidian black dial obtained through a process involving the application of 15 layers of transparent lacquer.
And all the way to the black alligator strap from the Italian shoemaker Santoni. The 18-carat Armor Gold folding clasp is personalised. Finally, water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 3 atmospheres.
Price149,000 euro.
