Watches and Wonders 2024: IWC aims for extreme precision with Portugieser Eternal Calendar

It’s the year of the Portugieser at IWC and the watchmaker is celebrating with as new calendar complication, Gloria Fung writes 

The watchmaker adds a range of new timepieces to one of its flagship collection, expanding significantly the iconic dress watch. IWC presents a good number of Portugieser from simple and classic to the highly complicated. One of the most iconic designs from the brand, the Portugieser, has long been one of the pillars of the brand. 

The classic silhouette of the design naturally lends itself to versatility in accommodating a variety of complications. 

Among the highlights this year at Watches and Wonders is the Portugieser Eternal Calendar. Most people are familiar with the annual or perpetual calendar complications. The eternal calendar, however, is a rare breed. 

A calendar watch displays month, date, and day functions while keeping time. The perpetual calendar takes things up a notch and measures dates in a four-year cycle, which means it accounts for the year and the leap year in addition to the day and date. Perpetual calendar watches generally do not need to be adjusted on the 29th day of February every four years. 

IWC’s Eternal Calendar takes things to the extreme with its date and timekeeping functions. The eternal calendar ‘corrects’ a design flaw of the perpetual calendar, that it needs to be adjusted three times every 400 years as it will count the 100th year as a leap year. 

The eternal calendar mitigates this mechanical hurdle, staying accurate, and does not require adjustment until 3999. Further, the timepiece features a perpetual moon phase and, astonishingly, stays accurate for 45 million years. 

The moon phase, date, month, power reserve and small seconds are displayed across four sub-dials while the year is indicated through a numeral aperture at the eight o’clock position. The leap year indication can be found positioned between 10 and 11 o’clock. 

IWC has chosen to house this special complication inside a 44.4 mm platinum case, completed with a black leather strap. 

Also see: Watches and Wonders 2024: It’s all rosy for Vacheron Constantin with new Overseas collection