New: IWC Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon

Our Dragon watches coverage continues with the offering from IWC in the form of their popular Portugieser Chronograph.

Press Release information with commentary in italics.

New: IWC Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon

The IWC Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon Ref. IW371629 retails for SGD 14,500 inclusive of 9% GST. Limited Edition of 1000 pieces.

Commentary

A bumper crop of Year of the Dragon watches this year. This IWC is the penultimate one which we will cover for 2024. The final Dragon watch we will be cover will be on Saturday with the Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Dragon.

This is IWC’s 10th foray in this rodeo, and for this year. And we have covered the Year of the Rabbit last year. Once again, IWC has chosen their popular Portugieser Chronograph in 41mm, and in a stainless steel case with a stunning burgundy dial. IWC has carefully selected from their collection so that a collector might be able to complete the 12 year set with different models for each of year on the zodiac. 2023 saw the automatic Portugieser as the Rabbit watch, and 2022 had the Pilot’s Chronograph as the Tiger watch.

The dragon motif only appears only as an engraving on the rotor, and executed in gold (plated). The watch comes with a bright burgundy rubber strap and a black calfskin strap for a more subdued look.

Pricing wise, it looks like another hike up the scale again. The Year of the Rabbit has a retail price of SGD 12.4k, and the Year of the Dragon will come in at SGD 14.5k. Quite a hefty increase, we think…though the Singapore GST did increase from 8% to 9% going from 2023 to 2024.

Release details

Schaffhausen/Shanghai, 8^th January 2024: To celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, IWC Schaffhausen presents a limited edition of the Portugieser Chronograph. The classic and elegant Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon features a 41-millimetre stainless steel case, a burgundy dial and contrasting gold-plated hands and appliques. Limited to 1000 pieces, this watch impresses with its rotor in the form of a majestic dragon, visible through the sapphire glass case back.

True to tradition, IWC Schaffhausen welcomes the Lunar New Year with a special edition watch. 10^th February 2024 marks the beginning of the Year of the Wood Dragon. According to the Chinese calendar, such a combination only occurs once every 60 years. People born under the sign of the dragon are considered energetic, strong, confident, gifted, intelligent and generous. Dragons initiate big things and keep them running. The Year of the Dragon promises luck, prosperity, and economic success. 

“Since 1998, the Portugieser Chronograph has embodied the dynamic, sporty side of IWC Schaffhausen’s acclaimed Portugieser collection. Thanks to the dial layout with the vertically arranged counters and the quarter-seconds precision scale, it has become one of our most coveted designs. We are convinced it is a fitting model to welcome the Year of the Dragon”, said Peter Lao, Managing Director of IWC Schaffhausen China. 
 

The Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon (Ref. IW371629) features a 41-millimetre stainless steel case, a burgundy dial, and gold-plated hands and appliques. Burgundy is a charming shade of red, symbolising the vibrant colour of fire, which is traditionally used to welcome the Lunar New Year in China and promises longevity and luck. The chronograph is powered by the IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre, a robust and precise mechanical chronograph movement in a classic column-wheel design. A glance at the movement through the transparent sapphire case back reveals another highlight: the gold-plated rotor of the automatic winding system takes the form of a beautifully detailed dragon. In addition, the case back ring features an engraving of “2024 YEAR OF THE DRAGON.” The Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon is delivered with two straps: one black calfskin strap and one burgundy rubber strap, allowing the wearer to choose between two different looks. A butterfly clasp ensures excellent wearing comfort. 

The Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon is limited to 1000 pieces and available immediately through IWC boutiques, authorised retail partners, or online at IWC.com. In addition, the timepiece is eligible for registration under the My IWC care programme, benefitting from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.

IWC Portugieser Chronograph Year of the Dragon Specifications

Ref. IW371629

FEATURES

Mechanical movement – stopwatch function with minutes and seconds – small hacking seconds – see-through sapphire glass back

MOVEMENT

IWC-manufactured calibre 69355

Frequency 28,800 bph / Jewels 27 /Power reserve 46h / Winding Automatic

CASE

Materials: Stainless steel case, burgundy dial, gold-plated hands and appliques, black calfskin strap, burgundy rubber strap

Glass Sapphire, convex, antireflective on both sides / Water-resistant 30m

Diameter 41mm / Height 13.1mm