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 the Engineer of Watchmaking. In 1868, the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones established the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. By combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge industrial technology and processes, he laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach to watchmaking.
IWC’s distinctive and pure design is brought to life through collections ranging from elegant dress watches to sports and luxury sports watches, notably the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur. 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 to use.
A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramic, IWC specializes in performance materials such as Ceratanium®. IWC’s advanced engineering division XPL develops technologies that enhance the durability of mechanical watches and extend their applications to environments with extreme conditions such as jet aviation and human spaceflight.
IWC is a leader in luxury watchmaking, crafting timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improving every aspect of how it manufactures, distributes and services its watches responsibly. Empowering the next generation of engineers, the brand also partners with organizations that work globally to support children and young people. IWC. EngineeredTM.