Hands-on with the IWC Portugieser Blue Panda Chronograph IW500715
Tuesday - 16 August 2022
The new IWC Portugieser Automatic Blue Panda watch reference IW500715 is a timepiece of spacious proportions and unmistakable nautical-inspired aesthetics. It follows the rules of the already-popular Portugieser watch, with a distinct silver and blue colour scheme that is seen running throughout the rest of the collection, plus there are some nods to marine deck observation watches worth acknowledging. The new IWC Portugieser Automatic Blue Panda reference IW500715 also bears large dimensions of 42.3mm and fills the space inside its case with a wide rotor belonging to the Calibre 52010. The new model is released alongside a new Portugieser Chronograph Blue Panda timepiece. Both the Portugieser Automatic and Chronograph watches are two of the Maison’s most popular timepieces.
There are many distinct features of the new Portugieser Automatic Blue Panda watch. Some of these include the railroad track that runs around the outer edge of the watch’s silver dial and a set of leaf-shaped hands, as well as a ring of crisp, highly readable Arabic numeral hour markers. Designs from the Portugieser line first originated in the 1930’s, their clearly organised dials suggesting a very forward design for their time. Simple but unrivalled at the same time, these models soon became a staple addition to a luxury watch enthusiast’s collection. When two Portuguese businessmen requested a wristwatch be made with the same guaranteed precision of a marine chronometer, the popularity of a large pocket watch movement was born. It revolutionised the industry and cemented a firm trend for the style and efficiency of a large wristwatch, thus the Portugieser watch would soon become a timepiece respected for both of these values and much more.
As mentioned there are some key characteristics that define the Portugieser watch by IWC Schaffhausen. The railroad track is one example of such. In addition to the watch’s large size, feuille hands and legible Arabic numerals, the chemin-de-fer railway track-style chapter ring is yet another feature borrowed from the design of a 1930s pocket watch. The scale is divided up into one-minute sections, making it incredibly easy to read the time accurately and quickly. The start of the Portugieser watch’s success began in 1939 with the Calibres 74 and 98, equipped to the heart of a watch requested by two Portuguese merchants. Then for the celebration of IWC’s 125th anniversary, the design of the Portugieser watch was reinvented once again with the launch of a new limited edition timepiece powered by the Calibre 9828. The model’s defining feature was the addition of its exhibition caseback crafted from sapphire crystal glass by which the wearer could admire the performance of the movement whilst in motion. From 1939 onwards, fans saw new complications added to the line such as the Portugieser Minute Repeater and Chronograph Rattrapante. The latter marked the first ever time the chronograph and the Portugieser had been combined. An entirely new movement was developed for the year 2000 with the IWC Portugieser 2000 watch powered by the Calibre 5000 and equipped with an impressive power reserve lasting 7 days. The sportiest timepiece of the collection, however, is the IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph. It embodied many characteristics of the original Yacht Club watch developed by IWC Schaffhausen back in 1967. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Portugieser watch, IWC released the Portugieser Annual Calendar in 2015, with three separate windows to display the month, day and date information. Today, the new Portugieser Automatic Blue Panda watch is as refined as ever. The classic has barely undergone change over the years and retains the line’s all-important nautical spirit successfully.
The new IWC Portugieser Automatic Blue Panda watch for 2022 is crafted from stainless steel and bears an exhibition caseback on the underside of the watch. Flip the timepiece over and you therefore have an unhindered view of some of the key components of the model’s in-house developed Calibre 52010. The case is also 30-meter water resistant and features a glass top crafted from the same anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. The watch sits at a 14.1mm height on the wrist and enables the remaining power reserve of the automatic movement to be read from the sub-scale at 3 o’clock. Across the opposite side of the model’s silver dial is the small seconds sub-counter. Both counters are filled with a deep blue hue and a striking azurage finish. The silver surface of the dial is also glossy in finish, constituting a notable modification compared to other models from the popular Portugieser line. The crisp blue Arabic numerals depicting the hour track are represented in a matching dark blue colour and the leaf-shaped hands pop against their silver backdrop for enhanced clarity. Balancing the IWC Schaffhausen lettering at the top of the dial is a clear date window positioned at 6 o’clock - a feature that adds a pleasing balance to the display.
The Calibre 52010 mentioned earlier is securely equipped to the centre of the case and features a Pellaton winding system and a wide rotor that delivers the movement’s 168 hours of power reserve once fully wound. The movement is sealed inside the model’s water-resistant case attached to a blue alligator leather strap, which completes the classic nautical-inspired design of the watch perfectly.
If you’d like more information on the new IWC Portugieser Automatic Blue Panda watch, you can check out the full details here online at Jura Watches or call and speak to a member of our sales team on 01335 453453.
