IWC Yacht Club Chronograph IW390211

Portuguese, or Portugieser? You've probably heard IWC's maritime-inspired range of luxury watches referred to as one or the other. So if you're confused about which name is correct, don't be. In general, the watch world refers to them as 'Portuguese watches'. And at IWC (and engraved on the back of the case, next to the exhibition window), it's 'Portugieser'.
Historically, the Portuguese watches have had a bit of a rough ride. When IWC first released them, they were seen as unfashionably large, and became unpopular almost as soon as they debuted. And when they finally did get the recognition they deserved, they were seen as too delicate and expensive to take out where they belonged: on the open ocean.
The genesis of the Portuguese watch lies in the marine chronometer: a timepiece designed to keep accurate time on a ship, where location plays merry heck with the hours, and environmental problems (the motion of the ship, the heat, humidity, and salt air of the tropics) wreak havoc on clockwork. A marine chronometer weathers all these horological storms with enough accuracy that it can be used as a time standard in its own right. That is, it's so reliable you can safely assume it's still showing GMT when you're in the middle of a howling gale off the Cape of Good Hope.
Knowing GMT in the belly of a storm is vital: because it's this constant time measurement that allows you to determine your longitude. If your chronometer can tell you, within acceptable variations of accuracy, what time it is in Greenwich, you can calculate the time difference between where you are now, and the Greenwich Meridian. And that means you can work out the longitude of the ship in relation to that meridian.
In the 1930s, two Portuguese businessmen approached IWC with a request. They wanted a luxury watch that was as accurate as a marine chronometer. To fit such a precise (ie big) movement into a wristwatch, the watchmakers at the Swiss company realised they would need to enlarge the case. And so the signature dial of the Portuguese watch was born: big, bold, and clean as a whistle.
The IWC Yacht Club Chronograph (IWC ref IW390211) is a direct descendant of these original seafaring watches. Its dial is still big, beautiful, and (in this case) nicely cream-coloured for a classic feel. It even features a minute track designed in a 19th-century maritime style. Behind it, you'll find one of IWC's best movements. The in-house automatic 89360 calibre powers a classic 12-hour chronograph and has a power reserve of 68 hours: just what you need if you're away from home on the open ocean. Though of course, the automatic rotor should take care of winding the watch, what with all the rolling and yawing as your yacht powers through the water.
Add lumed hands and indices, for quick reference in any conditions, and you've got a luxury watch that really can hold its own in the middle of a yachting contest. Or during a leisurely cruise to Antigua.
The chronograph subdial deserves a mention. Notice I said subdial, and not subdials? To preserve the symmetry and spaciousness of the watch face, IWC chose to place the 12-hour and 60-minute counter within the same disc. Two registers, twin hands (one hides behind the other when the chrono is at rest), one elegant solution. This double dial is at 12. At 6, you'll find running seconds. The movement also has a date window, at 3 o'clock.
For the first time in the long history of the Portuguese family, this is also a luxury watch that can stand going out to sea. Its 45.4 mm stainless steel case is solid, strong, and waterproof to 100 m. The sapphire glass on front and back affords a clear view of the time or the working chronograph.
That muscular case really takes the IWC Yacht Club Chronograph into the category of luxury sports watch. Check out those big-shouldered crown guards. With its smart pushers, pristine good looks, and hefty profile, the Yacht Club Chronograph looks like Ben Fogle with his shirt off.
I've always liked the idea of a Portugieser. Now I like the reality too. Note that IWC has toned down the size of the Yacht Club chrono since ref IW390211 was released): the modern reference, 390501, has a smaller case. So if you like your chronos to look like—well, like Ben Fogle with his shirt off, it's worth tracking this one down on the pre-owned market.
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