• Master
    29 Jul 2017, 1:53 p.m.

    Just as "silly" summer-discussion:
    (Some of) The earliest Ref. 325 had baton-sytle hands with luminouse (probably with Redium/Tritium) strips in it.

    I love this much more "technical"-looking face of the Portugieser very much.
    The later and actual feuille-hands give a very smooth face.

    What do you think: should IWC restart the "harder" Portigieser-face gaian as it can be fould on early (c.74)Portugieser
    www.vintage-iwc.ch/bilder/Technical_Ref325.jpg

    P.S: I know the script loks quite odd, but yhou find other portigieser whith original small scripts. Here it is quite low positioned. (But the dial was originaly like that, or redone by IWC in late 1980s. In addition it has the small crown you can find on early Ref 325 watches.

  • Master
    29 Jul 2017, 2:26 p.m.

    Hi, I see what you mean (great example you posted!!!), but I'm more in favor of the more traditional Portuguese style.

    However, I like diversity and given the endless stream of 'vintage inspired' models, by actually all big brands, I do like your suggestion a lot!

    Kind regards,

    Bob

  • Connoisseur
    30 Jul 2017, 5:10 a.m.

    I like that style of hands as such, but I think that in the picture they are just a bit overpowering the rest of the dial. Either the arabics should be a little bit bolder, or the hands just a little bit slimmer to achieve a more balanced look. Also, I think that yellow/green lume does not look good against a white dial. The lume on hands should be white as well.

    I'd be wary of tinkering with the current Portugieser design. It is easily the best looking IWC watch family as it is. Instead, these types of hands could be used to create a new white dial version of a Pilot's watch, for example.

  • Master
    30 Jul 2017, 9:43 a.m.

    Hi Ralph,
    As you suggest the dial on that Ref 325 is unlikely to be the original dial out of the factory. I've seen a couple of Ref 325 with cal 74, with baton luminous hands but they all also had luminous hour numbers.
    Are you sure that the first Ref 325s had a small crown? That is not my understanding, but i can be wrong. It has happened before. ;-)

    Answering your question - NO, I would not like to se a more "technical" Portugieser. The Portuguese line ought to remain true to itself.
    IWC has the Ingenieur, the Aquatimer and the Pilot lines on which to go "technical." And I mean really technical, not gimmicky technical.

  • Master
    30 Jul 2017, 11:09 a.m.
    
    

    Hi

    Thank you for the honest answer. Yes with the Banton hands you find also luminous numbers on the dial which are heavier. For me it is interesting that you find mainly the earlier c.74 with this style of dial/hands.

    I found once this picture, showing the Ref 325 with small crown....

    www.vintage-iwc.ch/bilder/ref325smallcrown.jpg

    But it still can be discussed, I have never seen a Ref. 325 with this dial.

    Kin regards

    Ralph

  • Master
    31 Jul 2017, 9:19 a.m.

    IWC was inconsistent when producing the Ref 325. The watch was put together, for the most part, with parts IWC had readily available at the time - two surplus PW movements (cal 74 and cal 98,) several dials/hands, and probably also crowns.
    I don't think it is possible to say to any degree of certainty that all the early Ref 325 had thin crowns.

    I believe this is how a Ref 325 with Radium luminous hour numbers and hands would have left Schaffhausen.
    image.ibb.co/gxgWAQ/iwc_portuguese_Ref_325.jpg
    (image from the net)

  • Master
    31 Jul 2017, 9:31 a.m.
    
    

    Here is one, in bad shape.

    image.ibb.co/c2NJPk/Ref_325.jpg

    and here is a NOS dial.

    image.ibb.co/nFJHjk/Ref_325_dial.jpg