Timekeeping plays a vital role in the maritime world. Few have picked up on this and have gone above and beyond to create specific timepieces for these activities, many of which have become synonymous with the brands today. Since 2010, IWC’s Portugieser Yacht Club has brought a sporting note to the family. As a nautical sports watch, it combines timeless elegance with ruggedness and high water-resistance. These characteristics make the Yacht Club an extremely versatile watch that cuts a fine figure both on water and land.
The big one for IWC this year, is the new Portugieser Yacht Club Moon and Tide – the first model to feature IWC’s newly developed tide indication and the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Ref. 3907 Third Generation which will be available in four versions.
IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Yacht Club ‘Moon and Tide’ Ref. 344001
Standing in a category of its own is the new Portugieser Yacht Club ‘Moon and Tide’ (Ref. 344001), the first watch from IWC to sport the newly developed tide indication. A sub-dial at 6 o clock indicates the expected times for the next high and low tide while the double moon phase display at 12 o’clock has been enhanced to show spring and neap tides. Spring tides refers to the ‘springing forth’ of the tide during a new and full moon while Neap tides are moderate tides when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, usually occurring seven days after a spring tide.
During the 12 hours and 24 minutes between two high tides, the display rotates by around 24 minutes on the 12-hour scale. The energy required to turn it is channelled by the basic movement’s hour pinion. The challenge facing the designers was to convert the rapid hourly rhythm into the much more leisurely rotation of the tidal disc. A reducing gear comprising three precisely calculated cogs slows the rotation to the point where the tidal disc rotates around its axis once in exactly 14.76 days. The tidal display module is integrated into the 82835 calibre and contains just 49 individual parts.
Because the display rotates continuously, it always shows the approximate time of the next high tide. If the arrow points to 12 o’clock at 10 o’clock in the morning, the next high tide will be a little later than 12 o’clock because, in the next two hours, the tidal disc will also move a little further. On the opposite side you can also read the approximate time for the next low tide. The exact times for high and low tide depend on the longitude. As a result, the display needs to be calibrated once using the tide tables for a specific location, such as New York, Lisbon or Sydney. According to this, the deviation is theoretically only 10 minutes in 100 years. The display works reliably on all coasts with two equally strong high and low tides per day.
THE MOON PHASE DISPLAY ALSO SHOWS SPRING AND NEAP TIDES
Another special feature of the Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide is the double moon phase display. It has been extended to include a special inscription and also provides information about the strength of the current tides. At full and new moon, the Earth, moon and sun are in a direct line. In this constellation, the tidal forces are cumulative and generate a spring tide – a particularly strong high tide. At half-moon, however, the sun and moon are at right angles to each other. The result of this is a weaker high tide, or “neap tide”. Exactly how high the water rises depends on the geographical location and the exact physical nature of the coast. While the tidal swell on the open sea is only about 30 centimetres, the sea level during high tide rises by up to 20 metres in the Canadian Bay of Fundy. So, anyone in charge of a boat would be well advised to take a look at the dial of their Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide.
The 44.6mm 18-carat 5N gold case, is designed with a distinctive blue dial and gold-plated hands and 18-carat gold appliques. You’ll also notice the seagoing theme extends all the way to the blue rubber strap with textile inlay. For the moment, this new reference is only available in 18-carat 5N gold gold but we’re pretty sure we’ll see more exotic executions in the coming years.
As for the movement, IWC has integrated an 82835 calibre (Developed in-house), which drives the double moon phase and tide module. This robust automatic movement features a Pellaton winding fitted with ceramic components and offers a power reserve of 60 hours. It can be viewed through the transparent sapphire glass back.
The new Portugieser Yacht Club ‘Moon and Tide’ (Ref. 344001) represents another step in the further technical evolution of IWC’s nautical inspired timepieces.
Ref. IW344001 | Recommended Retail Price: $50,700 Australian Dollars
IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Ref. 3907
In addition to the Portugieser Yacht Club ‘Moon and Tide’ Ref. 344001, IWC is also unveiling three new Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph (Third Generation) watches with ergonomic metal bracelets in either stainless steel or steel and 18-carat 5N gold. The third generation Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph is slightly larger than the second generation Summer Edition, with a diameter of 44.6mm. Having said that the overall demeanour of all three versions is still pretty casual.
A sub-dial at 12 o’clock displays the stopped hours and minutes in a single totaliser, while the one at 6 o’clock is the sweeping seconds with a stop mechanism. Thanks to its flyback function, the stopwatch hands can be returned to zero simply by pressing the reset button, and a new timing sequence starts immediately. The date window now sits in a sub dial at 6 o clock instead of the 3 o clock position as seen in the first and second generation models. Ticking away inside these watches is an IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre with automatic winding that builds up a power reserve of 68 hours. The movement can be viewed through the transparent case back.
Ref. IW390701 | Recommended Retail Price: $18,800 Australian Dollars
Stainless steel case, blue dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, stainless steel bracelet.
Ref. IW390702 | Recommended Retail Price: $18,800 Australian Dollars
Stainless steel case, silver-plated dial, blue hands and appliques, stainless steel bracelet.
Ref. IW390703 | Recommended Retail Price: $28,500 Australian Dollars
Stainless steel case, silver-plated dial, gold-plated hands and 18-carat 5N gold appliques, bracelet made of 18-carat 5N gold and stainless steel.
