Portugieser

There isn’t a more rare and significant timepiece in watchmaking history than the International Watch Company Reference 325. The IWC Reference 325 represents the brand’s first “true” Jumbo model and one of the first of its kind being that its 42mm case diameter was an unprecedented size during a time when sub-35mm watches were the norm.

For IWC, the Portugieser models got their start, as well as their name, in the late 1930s when a Portuguese merchant approached the brand with a request for a bespoke wristwatch with marine precision.

This particular Reference 325, features the distinct large case profile spanning 42mm in width, as well as an ultra-thin bezel, a ‘turbine’ crown, holey lugs and an acrylic crystal. The dial however, is what steals the show. The black dial has patinated to a gorgeous ‘starry night’ display.

The ‘Arabic’ indices have faded to black, but are still legible, and are accompanied by a subsidiary seconds register and a matching ‘stick’ handset. It also comes fitted to a black alligator strap with a signed steel pin buckle. There weren’t many of these put into production. In fact, only a few hundred, which begs the question, how many are in fantastic and funct