Those vertical dials are back – IWC has relaunched the flyback Portugieser Chronograph Classic with a few new twists

IWC has debuted three new colour combinations of the 42mm Portugieser Chronograph Classic, along with making some subtle tweaks to the dial. There are two with silver dials, one with gold feuille hands in an 18ct red gold case on a brown alligator strap, the other with blue hands in a steel case. The third watch in the trio has a deep, ?midnight blue? dial, also in a steel case – both of these steel watches come on a black alligator strap.

The third chronograph in the Portugieser collection was launched in 2013, directly referencing IWC?s Portugieser designs of the 1930s. IWC went on to declare 2015 the ‘Year of the Portugieser’, for the model’s 75th anniversary. The new reissue has a smartened-up dial, too: gone are the second sub-divisions on the railway track chapter ring, giving a cleaner look overall, and the sapphire glass is now slightly convex. The date display takes the place of the numeral at 3 o?clock, while the twin counters are placed at 12 and 6 o?clock – the trademark Portugieser chronograph layout. It’s worth noting that this does not replace the standard Portugieser Chronograph (ref.3714), which has remained unchanged since approximately 3000BC. The Chronograph Classic – reference 3903 – is wider (42mm over 40.9mm) and taller (14.5mm vs 12.3mm). If you like the bulkier ca...