Hello everyone,
I'm VERY VERY sorry for my ignorance but for years I've been wondering why is the Portuguese called Portuguese... My reasoning is that probably its a tribute for the past glory of Portugal in exploration and navigation, giving "new worlds to the world", but I would really appreciate if some of you could enlighten me with some of your knowledge on this!
Thanks in advance.
some excerpts from a recent post on facebook when the Macau boutique was launched:
IWC Watches
June 25
After Portuguese seafarer Vasco da Gama completed a historical trip to India in the 15th century, many great Portuguese seafarers settled in the East - including the island of Macau. From this port, the rich history of seafaring has continued- making it a perfect destination to house IWC’s iconic Portuguese watches.
IWC Portuguese watches are instruments of the modern age, as an aid to our own navigation through time. This Portuguese Perpetual Calendar compiles modern design and mechanics. Its accuracy can be comparable to the scientific instruments.
Do you know when the first IWC Portuguese watch was born?
"at the end of the 1930s, two Portuguese businessmen active in the watch industry were searching for technical precision of the highest order and paid a visit to the factory in Schaffhausen. They ordered wristwatches in steel cases with the accuracy of a marine chronometer. At the time, the only way of meeting their request was with a pocket watch movement, so IWC decided to take one from a hunter movement (which also has the crown on the right-hand side) and house it in a wristwatch case. The first Portuguese of 1939 established an IWC watch family whose precision, sheer size and complex mechanics have been a source of pleasure to watch enthusiasts the world over for more than 70 years"
the full writeup on IWC.com can be found here: www.iwc.com/en/collection/portuguese/
THANK YOU, SHING!
Great input. Its actually even more interesting than I thought it would be and I will consult the full writeup today.
All the best!
If anyone has more information on Rodriguez and Teixeira, especially what happened to their dealership, I would love to know more.
here is a bit more information from an article Michael co-wrote:
(website: people(dot)timezone(dot)com(slash)library(slash)extras(slash)extras631796534478125000)
"The original large "Portugieser" wristwatch was initially produced in the 1940s, on commission from two Portuguese watch dealers named Rodriguez and Teixeira, one from Lisbon and the other from Porto. They requested a large watch be made by IWC, which ran counter to the taste of the times which tended toward smaller and smaller wristwatches. The intended watch would have a diameter of 43mm, unlike many wristwatches of the period which were 31mm in diameter. IWC chose to use their flattest and most reliable pocket watch movement, which at the time was their Cal. 98, evolved from their earlier caliber 74, which had ceased production in 1930.
Orders for this watch came in irregularly, and were generally for fairly small numbers of pieces. In addition to Portugal, a Zurich based export company called "Color Metal," had found demand elsewhere in the world for this watch. As originally produced in the 1940s, this watch was available with a silver plated dial, embossed gold figures, and blued steel hands; another version had imprinted black figures and blued steel hands.
After a few years, this watch ceased production until unexpectedly an order came in during the late 1970s from Germany. A few old watch cases were found, new dials were produced, and the order was filled with watches differing minimally from the originals produced in the 1940s. An additional order came in and could not be filled, due to the absence of additional watch cases, and a lack of sufficient demand to justify re-manufacturing of the cases required. In addition, by then IWC was already manufacturing the reference # 5251 pocket wrist moon phase watch referred to above, and they did not feel there was sufficient demand for two such large watches in their range.
As luck would have it, however, 10 years later the 125 year jubilee anniversary of IWC was approaching, given the founding of the firm in 1868. A decision was made to celebrate this anniversary with a limited release of a new series of the large Portugieser wristwatch. Although these were almost exact replicas of the original circa 1940s Portugieser, IWC considers them more to be a brand new series of the original than a re-issue. Like the originals, they utilize the same matte silver-plated dial, gold plated Arabic raised numerals, and identical, lance-shaped hands with a slightly sunken sub dial.
In 1993, the Jubilee Portugieser was produced in a limited series and in 3 metals --stainless steel, gold, and platinum. A slight variation of the dial was present in the platinum version, wherein the color of the numerals and the hands would match the case color in this version only. The case is exactly the same size as the original watch made in the 40s, and insofar as possible, was made using the same tools used in the earlier period. One new feature would be a sapphire crystal back, to allow unimpeded viewing of the movement. In addition, there would be special engraving on the movement, consistent with the special circumstances surrounding the re-release of this watch.
The authors are privileged to own examples of this watch, whose limited series included 1000 numbered watches in Stainless Steel, 500 in 18 kt. Rose Gold, and 250 in Platinum. Of these, 125 were sold in sets of one watch of each metal, e.g. one steel, one gold, and one platinum. It is our understanding that an additional series of 50 watches in SS only was released in 1997 to an Italian watch dealer, in conjunction with the celebration of an anniversary of the store itself. That model, the so-called Pisa Portugieser, had the variant dial described above, with black Breguet-style numerals and blued hands."
The unofficial story says a man from Portugal, whose initials are A.G., bought all the ref. 325 available in the market, that's why all Portuguese watches are called Portuguese.
LOL
Unfortunately, nobody knows very much about R&T, I've asked to Brasilian Professors, experts from all over the world, a known Portuguese journalist didn't even reply to my mail. Only one man gave me some answers, the egregious Mr. A.G.
:)
Thanks once again, Shing, you're a great source of knowledge. Thumbs up!
Hi Roberto,
Good stuff! I'll definitely try to find more on the elusive Senhores R&T.
And a very well done to you Mr. A.G., wherever you are...!
Thanks, that was nice ;-)