Introducing: The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42

April 24, 2020

When I think of IWC's complications, my mind tends to go to one of two places, each of which arose from IWC's well-earned reputation for being a brand for watch-lovers first and foremost.? On the one hand, there is the Doppelchronograph, developed in the 1990s by Richard Habring to function on a modified Valjoux 7750 movement. On the other hand, there is the IWC perpetual calendar. The original work of watchmaking legend Kurt Klaus in the 1980s brought an egalitarian appeal to a complication long associated with prestige and great expense, and also did so on the back of the humble Valjoux 7750.?Today, we're looking at a new batch of IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendars that come in a 42mm size made possible by the integration of a perpetual calendar movement in the 82000-caliber family. This is the first time that this slightly smaller family of movements has powered an IWC perpetual calendar mechanism. Though I've yet to see them in the metal, these three new models come in what figures to be an extremely wearable case size of 42mm in either stainless steel (one version) or 5N red gold (two versions, the one with the blue dial exclusive to IWC boutiques). Besides its size, one of the first things you're likely to notice about the smaller options is that their dial layouts are a bit different from what we're come to expect in recent Portugieser Perpetual Calendars, which have traditionally located the moon phase indicator at the 12 o'clock position. With these three new references, it's been moved down to a sub-dial in the six o'clock position and combined with the month display.? Initial Thoughts For me, 42mm vs ?44mm makes a world of difference in terms of the wearability of a watch, and for that reason alone, I'm quite excited to check these watches out as soon as I can and hopefully get one on my wrist for a review. For many years, IWC was known for its big movements and oversized complications; but that reputation, earned mostly in the last decade, seems to be on the wane. A 42mm dress watch is by no means small, but I do think that I could wear this perpetual calendar with a suit, which I doubt would be the case with the 7-day 44mm version. It's well worth pointing out that IWC is not abandoning the larger 52000 series of movements for the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar. In addition to the gold-cased, blue-dialed, cal. 82650-powered boutique edition you see above, there is also a second boutique edition that features the larger 7-day movement with blue dial and gold case, which uses the caliber 52610 and IWC's proprietary Armor Gold, a highly scratch-resistant formulation of 5N gold.?It is a classic, after all. The Basics Brand: IWC Model: Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42; Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Boutique EditionReference Number: Ref. IW344202, 5N gold with white dial; IW344203, stainless steel with white dial; IW344205, 5N gold with blue dial (boutique edition)Diameter: ?42.4 mm Thickness: 13.8 mm Case Material: Stainless steel or 5N gold Dial Color: Silver plated or blueIndexes: AppliedLume: NoWater Resistance: 3 barStrap/Bracelet: Alligator leather straps by Santoni The Movement Caliber: Caliber 82650 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar with displays for day, date, month, moon phase, and leap yearPower Reserve: ?60 hours Winding: ?AutomaticFrequency: 28,800 vphJewels: ?46 Pricing & Availability Price: Stainless steel ref. IW344203: $22,900; 5N gold ref. IW344202, ?$32,900; 5N red gold IW344205, $32,900For more, visit IWC