IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound F.A. Jones 5447-02 Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/iwc The IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound F.A. Jones is the stuff of dreams. One of only 50 manufactured in 18-karat yellow gold, this exclusive tribute to IWC's American founding father embodies the finest that Schaffhausen, Switzerland has to offer. Integrating tourbillon complications into established - and iconic - models like the Portuguese represents an exceptional challenge for watch designers. Aside from the immense engineering and craft hurdles to be surmounted in order to realize a tourbillon, integration of the mechanism requires a deft balance between preserving the look of a familiar face while according sufficient prominence to the signature complication. IWC's watchmakers thread the needle with virtuosity. All elements of the legendary Portuguese are retained on the Tourbillon F.A. Jones. Its 43mm case, ultra thin bezel, "railroad" minute track, Arabic numerals, and small seconds subdial recall the 1939 original with exceptional fidelity. IWC's Portuguese-market importers, the men who commissioned the original "Portugieser," would recognize the Portuguese Tourbillon at a glance. Thanks to IWC's modern strides as a house of high horology, classic lines are merely the beginning of the Portuguese Tourbillon's allure. Stunning contrast between the rich blue dial and golden halo at nine o'clock chapter ring sets the stage for the main event: a flying tourbillon. While other watchmakers locate tourbillon apertures without