The History
The IWC Portuguese is, far and away, the most popular and recognizable watch the IWC (aka – the International Watch Company) has ever produced. Like every great watch, there is a great story to go along with the creation of the Portuguese. As the tale goes, at the end of the 1930s, two Portuguese businessmen approached IWC with the goal of making a wristwatch that could match the precision and accuracy of a marine chronometer. IWC, always up to a challenge, went about fitting a high accuracy pocket watch movement into a wristwatch. The result was named the Portuguese (Portugieser in German). This watch, first introduced in 1939, measured a whopping 43mm across the case, truly massive for that period. To put that in perspective, most of the wristwatches of the day were a dainty 33mm. The IWC definitely made a statement when it was first released, a statement that it still makes today.
The Reference
In 1993, IWC was celebrating its 125th anniversary and, to mark the moment, they introduced a new line of Portuguese watches. Prior to this the Portuguese had fallen into limited production and was only being sold in Germany. In 1998, IWC released the ref. 3714, the reference we have here today. This ref. had an incredibly long, 22-year run with only a few minor changes along the way. The 3714 is the modern standard for the Portuguese and has defined the look and feel of the line still to this day.
The watch that we have up for auction is the black dial variant likely produced in 2011, as evidenced by the date on the case back engraving. The watch is powered by a Valjoux movement that was modified by IWC for use in this reference.
The Case
The 40.9mm stainless steel case is in excellent condition with only minor scratches from light wear. There are no major scratches or defaults to note. The case back has a custom engraving on the center that depicts an eagle holding an anchor, a name, Gregory Shark, and the year it was presumably gifted 2011.
The Dial and Hands
The dial and hands are in excellent condition with no faults to note. The design of the black dial is highlighted by high polish hands and applied Arabic numerals as well as applied dots on the minutes and hours. The dial is noticeably devoid of any luminous materials that could detract from the simple and refined dial layout.
The Movement
The watch is powered by the Calibre 79350, which itself is a modified Valjoux 7750. The watch is running and keeping good time with all chronograph functions operating. The service history of the watch is unknown.
PHOTO GALLERY
| Seller | Livingstonsatnight |
| Auction Number | 170 |
| Location | New York City |
| Brand | IWC |
| Model | Portuguese Chronograph |
| Reference Number | 3714 |
| Movement | Automatic, Calibre 79350 |
| Year | 2011 |
| Dial | Black |
| Case Width | 40.9mm |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Band Material | Leather Strap |
| Clasp Type | Buckle |
| Original Box | No |
| Original Papers | No |
| Seller Type | Individual |
Hello my name is Gary Pollock and I am new to the site, would you except $300 for the IWC Portuguese Chronograph watch?
Hey Gary! Thanks for being a part of the D+B community. This particular watch sold in an after-auction sale. Hopefully, we will have another Portuguese coming up again soon. They are such fantastic watches.