Ed Sheeran is one of the most popular musicians on the planet, but around these parts, he’s mostly known for being one of the world’s most famous watch nerds. Befitting both, he kicked off the first of three sold-out shows at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium—appropriately dubbed “Ragnarok and Roll,”—by arm wrestling Chris Hemsworth and wearing IWC’s new superhero-worthy chronograph on stage.
According to horological lore, in the late 1930s, two Portuguese businessmen approached the International Watch Company with a request for an oversized men’s wristwatch—a strict departure from the daintier timepieces of the era. IWC fulfilled this request by fitting a pocket watch movement into an oversized wristwatch case, producing several hundred examples of it between 1939 and the 1970s. In the early 1990s, the brand released a special edition of the so-called Portugieser, and what was once a curiosity grew into one of IWC’s most beloved collections.
Courtesy of IWC
Heavily influenced by traditional pocket-watch aesthetics, the Portugieser has always been a dressier collection, with a range of sophisticated complications on offer, including the mind-boggling Eternal Calendar. While it’s been available in rose gold, steel, and platinum, the Portugieser hasn’t been offered in any of the funkier, more experimental materials commonly found in the brand’s pilot’s watches. This week, however, IWC is finally sharing the love with the Portugieser collection, offering a stealthy Ceratanium riff on the up-down chronograph.
The new Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium (ref. 371631) is precisely what it sounds like—namely, a monochromatic version of the Portugieser Chronograph with a case made from IWC’s blend of ceramic and titanium. Developed in-house, the special titanium alloy is fired in a kiln at high temperatures, giving it not only its signature dark finish but also increased hardness and scratch resistance—two properties that are commonly associated with ceramic. Lightweight, hypoallergenic, and highly durable, Ceratanium might be considered overkill in a dress watch, but IWC’s never been afraid to push the envelope or to challenge convention. It was legendary IWC watchmaker Kurt Klass who, way back in the mid-1980s, oversaw the development of the ingenious Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, a dressy, complicated piece that was available with a ceramic case.
Courtesy of IWC