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 case, vintage-style pump pushers in its chronograph variants, 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. Offered here, we have an 18kt rose gold silver dial variant of the Portugieser Seven Days ref. 500113 with charming rose gold applied Arabic numerals and matching rose gold hands that contrast their bright backdrop with a stunningly luxurious effect, much in keeping with IWC’s theme as a luxury watchmaker. Featuring twin subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock, the ref. 500113 features a power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock and a running seconds subdial at 9 o’clock which add a nice level of utility to this modern dress watch.

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.