Jamie Weiss
This year was the year of the Portugieser for IWC. At Watches & Wonders in Geneva, the Schaffhausen brand unveiled a variety of new colorful dials and interesting designs for its collection, but the highlight was the era-defining Portugieser Eternal Calendar. At Watches & Wonders Shanghai, IWC took the Portugieser back to its roots, as well as unveiling the first movement with a silicon hairspring, and the love continues. For those who don’t know, the design of the original Portugieser Ref. 325 from 1939 was inspired by deck observation watches, evoking the charm of seafaring and the Age of Exploration. But the new IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide IW344002 is all about the appeal of recreational yachting, offering an innovative interpretation of the tide indicator.
Incident
The original ref. 325 was IWC’s first oversized civilian watch, measuring in at a massive 41.5mm for the time. The Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide is also a large watch by modern standards, measuring 44.6mm in diameter and 13.4mm thick. That’s larger than most of the pilot’s watches IWC offers, but in this case, bigger is a good thing, as it allows more space for the namesake complication. More on that later. Either way, IWC’s modern Portugieser Yacht Club collection has featured larger, brassier Portugiesers since its launch in 2010, and the Yacht Club Moon & Tide continues that tradition.
The Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide was first introduced in 2020 as the red gold ref. IW344001. Made from stainless steel, this model is slightly lighter in weight and offers improved water resistance (100 meters versus 60 meters for the ref. IW344001). Otherwise, the case of the new stainless steel ref. IW344002 is identical in design to its red gold sibling, boasting a beautifully polished bezel, sturdy lugs, and crown guards that look like two pushers.
Dial
Fans of the 2024 Portugieser new releases, such as the Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night and its captivating obsidian black dial, will be happy to know that the new Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide also adopts this dark tone. In fact, the regular production Portugieser with this obsidian black dial and stainless steel case combination is one of only two, the other being the Portugieser Chronograph.
At 12 o’clock, there’s a “double moon” moon phase indicator that shows the phases of the moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres. It’s accurate to 125 years. Not bad accuracy. Plus, it shows spring and neap tides. Spring tides (not related to seasons) are tides with the greatest difference between high tide and low tide. By the way, if you’ve ever heard the term king tide, that’s simply a particularly high spring tide. It usually occurs during full and new moons. Neap tides are tides with the smallest difference in tidal range. Get it?
Speaking of tides, there is a tide indicator at 6 o’clock, helping the wearer keep track of the subtly changing times of high and low tides. High tides occur approximately every 12 hours and 24 minutes, but the Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide compensates for this thanks to a reduction gear with three wheels, rotating the tidal disc by 24 minutes between high and low tides, thus translating the hourly rhythm of the regular time display into a slower rotation of the tidal disc.
In typical IWC style, both the tide and double moon displays are minimalist yet highly legible, with subtle contrast provided by the red and blue lettering that breaks up the monochromatic look of the dial. The seconds hand is also red-tipped, and there’s a color-matched date window at 3 o’clock – all in classic, elegant Portugieser style.
motion
This Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide IW344002’s masterful display is all thanks to the new caliber 82836, which is identical to the 2020 model’s caliber 82835, except for one important change: the introduction of a silicon balance spring. In fact, I was surprised to hear that this is IWC’s first movement with a silicon balance spring, given the prevalence of this technology even among brands and movements that are much less developed than IWC. Of course, the benefits of a silicon balance spring are manifold: silicon is inherently antimagnetic, thermally stable, does not deform like a traditional balance spring, does not require lubrication, and much more.
Some traditionalists argue that the use of silicon diminishes the artistry of watchmaking. Also, silicon balance springs can be more fragile than traditional steel balance springs. But I won’t join that debate. IWC thinks it’s worth it, or they wouldn’t have updated this movement. Silicon balance spring aside, the caliber 82836 also features IWC’s Pellaton automatic winding system (with ceramic components – is that sacrilege again?) and the reassurance of a 60-hour power reserve.
bracelet
The Portuguese Yacht Club Moon & Tide IW344002 is presented on a three-link steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp. While this design has been offered on Portuguese models before, this is the first time that this complication has been presented on a bracelet; the reference IW344001 was presented on a rubber strap.
Verdict
While most people who actually belong to a yacht club probably never sail their own boat, it’s very fitting that the Portugieser Yacht Club includes complications like tide indication and moon phase. It’s stainless steel, so it’s more suitable for ocean-going sailing than the previous red gold version (although you still can’t call it a tool watch). The addition of a silicon hairspring is a nice touch, which is nice, although it’s something only true enthusiasts will get excited about. But the big selling point of this watch, in my opinion, is that its movement compensates for discrepancies between the tides and the normal 24-hour cycle. This makes for a more user-friendly experience than other tide-tracking watches, such as the Baume & Mercier Riviera Tidegraph.
Price and availability for the IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Moon & Tide IW344002
The IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Moon & Tide IW344002 is available now. Price: US$22,500, AUD$35,000, GBP20,500
Brand IWC Schaffhausen Model Portuguese Yacht Club Moon & Tide Reference Number IW344002 Case Size 44.6mm (D) x 13.4mm (T) Case Material Stainless steel Water Resistance 100 meters Crystal Sapphire crystal front and back Dial Obsidian black lacquered finish Bracelet Stainless steel three-link bracelet with butterfly clasp Movement IWC 82836, IWC manufactured, automatic Power Reserve 60 hours Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date, tide indicator, moon phase Availability Current Price US$22,500
35,000 Australian dollars
£20,500
