IWC Portuguese Hand-Wound 5454-08 Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Since 1939, the IWC Portuguese has been the hands-down leader in the oversized luxury watch segment. So, Audemars Piguet and Hublot, who's your daddy? The 44mm stainless steel IWC Portuguese Hand-Wound, hands-down. Originally designed at the behest of IWC's Portuguese importers, the first "Ref. 325" Portugieser (Schaffhausen's informal nickname) dwarfed the 31-33mm "men's watches" of its day. The core design goal of accommodating a precise but massive pocket watch movement ensured that the IWC Portuguese anticipated the oversized watch phenomenon of the 21st century by at least five decades. Born big in an era of petite rivals, the hulking Portuguese became an icon of the Schaffhausen watchmaker. Until the 1993 Portuguese Jubilee Ref. 5441, fewer than 700 of the legendary but polarizing Portuguese models were built. The 5441 finally delivered the "Portugieser" into mainstream success, and in 2010, IWC paid tribute to that breakthrough limited edition with the Ref. 5454-08 Portuguese Hand-Wound showcased in this video. The IWC Portuguese Hand-Wound receives the same aesthetic treatment as the 5441 with several notable refinements. The 5441's charming but scratch-prone acrylic crystal becomes a hardy sapphire in the 5454, and the 5454 features the new 98295 movement. The dial of the IWC Portuguese Hand-Wound 5454-08 features applied rose gold Arabic numerals and delicate 18-karat feuille (leaf) hands atop a matte silver base. Sober, classical,