IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN WELCOMES THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON WITH A LIMITED-EDITION PORTUGIESER CHRONOGRAPH WITH A BURGUNDY DIAL
Schaffhausen/Shanghai, 8th 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. 10th 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 Schaffhausen is a leading Swiss luxury watch manufacturer based in Schaffhausen in the north-eastern part of Switzerland. With collections like the Portugieser and the Pilot’s Watches, the brand covers the whole spectrum from elegant to sports watches. Founded in 1868 by the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones, IWC is known for its unique engineering approach to watchmaking, combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge technology and processes.
Over its more than 150-year history, IWC has earned a reputation for creating professional instrument watches and functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as coloured ceramics, Ceratanium®, and titanium aluminide.
A leader in sustainable luxury watchmaking, IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment. Along the pillars of transparency, circularity, and responsibility, the brand crafts timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improves every element of how it manufactures, distributes, and services its products in the most responsible way. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.