First launched in 1939, the IWC Portugieser has become an iconic piece of horological design thanks to its long and storied past as one of the first "big watches" to make it to market. Forging a reputation as a large and robust timepiece that straddles the line between a sports watch and dress watch, it features a large stainless-steel case, vintage-style pump pushers, immensely legible Arabic numerals, and clear subdials – all elements that combine to create an aesthetic that is timeless as IWC remain rooted to the collection’s original design brief. Relaunched in 1993, the Portugieser became an immensely popular collection within IWC’s arsenal, and so it was expanded upon to include a standard chronograph variant in 1998, with the ref. 3714 launched following its rattrapante sibling, the ref. 3712’s debut in 1995. Remaining largely unchanged until 2020, when the Portugieser Chronograph ref. 3716 that we have here was launched, this blue dialled variant features the same 41mm case design, but is powered by the in-house automatic cal. 69355. Offered here, we have a blue dial variant of the ref. 3716 with charming applied Arabic numerals and feuille hands that contrast their backdrop with a stunningly luxurious effect, much in keeping with IWC’s theme as a luxury watchmaker.

An icon within collector's circles thanks to its incredible longevity, the Portugieser has leveraged its timeless design to remain relevant and desirable for collectors over a span of decades, and it shows no signs of slowing down.