2019 IWC Chronograph Portuguese UNWORN CONDITION

The unworn IWC Portuguese chronograph is a stunning timepiece that exemplifies the artistry of modern watchmaking. The IWC Portugieser Chronograph Ref. IW371491 is one of the most quietly iconic chronographs in modern watchmaking. It belongs to the legendary 3714 generation — the reference that became IWC's single most successful watch ever produced, running virtually unchanged from its 1998 introduction until 2020. That kind of longevity in a luxury catalog doesn't happen by accident. It happens because a design is so perfectly resolved that no one dares touch it.

The origins of the Portugieser trace back to 1939, when two Portuguese businessmen walked into IWC's Schaffhausen manufacture asking for a wristwatch with the precision of a marine chronometer. IWC responded by dropping a pocket watch movement into an oversized case — a radical idea at a time when most men's watches were barely 33mm. This unworn IWC Portuguese chronograph carries on that DNA: the thin bezel that makes the 40.9mm case wear larger and more open than the numbers suggest, the applied Arabic numerals, the elegant feuille hands, and the perfectly balanced bicompax layout with running seconds at six and a 30-minute counter at twelve. The blue sunray dial on this reference is stunning — it shifts between deep navy and electric blue depending on the light, and the snailed sub-dials add a layer of texture that rewards a close look.

Powered by IWC's Caliber 79350, this is a watch that was never about chasing specs. It's about restraint, proportion, and a design philosophy that proved itself over two decades of continuous production.

KEY DETAILS

• Name: IWC Portugieser Chronograph
• Reference: IW371491
• Collection Generation: Ref. 3714 family (produced 1998–2020)
• Case Material: Stainless steel (brushed edges, polished bezel ring & lugs)
• Case Diameter: 40.9mm
• Case Thickness: 12.3mm
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Bezel: Fixed, polished stainless steel
• Crystal: Convex sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides
• Case Back: Solid, screw-down
• Dial: Blue with sunray finish, snailed concentric sub-dials
• Hour Markers: Applied polished Arabic numerals with dot minute markers
• Hands: Leaf-shaped (feuille), polished silver-tone
• Movement: IWC Caliber 79350 (automatic, based on Valjoux 7750)
• Jewels: 31
• Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
• Power Reserve: Approx. 44 hours
• Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds (6 o'clock), chronograph with central seconds and 30-minute counter (12 o'clock)
• Water Resistance: 30 meters / 100 feet
• Strap: Black alligator leather with deployment buckle
• Crown: Pull/push