Kurt Klaus
As you read this edition, a giant in horology has recently celebrated his 90th birthday. While many timepieces surpass this age, it serves as a reminder that ordinary humans often do not, even someone as distinguished as Kurt Klaus. During this leap year, which sees the WOW team focusing on perpetual calendars, we were surprised to learn about this significant celebration while researching the mentioned complication. Klaus is most renowned for his groundbreaking achievements concerning the perpetual calendar for IWC, and his influence is still evident today. If you possess an IWC perpetual calendar made during the Klaus period, you embody this legacy.
The IWC perpetual calendar has two noteworthy periods – before and after Kurt Klaus. As highlighted in our special segment in the Autumn edition of WOW, the perpetual calendar has not seen numerous significant advancements in the past century. One standout development was Klaus’ contribution in the 1980s. According to IWC and various reports, Klaus served as IWC’s chief watchmaker in the early 1980s, aiming to achieve the extraordinary by enhancing the mechanical perpetual calendar. To keep you on your toes, this culminated in the often-overlooked Da Vinci Chronograph Perpetual Calendar in 1985. Such statements might stir debate, but they hold true considering that the system where all indications are adjusted by a single crown originated from this multi-complication.
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
Consequently, every modern IWC perpetual calendar, including the four introduced at Watches and Wonders Geneva this April, incorporates this feature. The brand highlights how beneficial this system is for users. To elaborate, prior to Klaus’ revolutionary idea in the 1980s, each calendar feature – inclusive of the moon phase – had its own adjustment mechanism, typically a recessed pusher on the case’s sides, which many perpetual calendars still employ today. Therefore, if your perpetual calendar winds down while you wear other timepieces, you’d have to adjust each calendar indication individually to display the correct values. If the watch has been inactive for an extended period, this can become quite tedious.
Quick-Setting
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar movement calibre 52616
Kurt Klaus devised a rational solution, utilizing the grand lever that maintained synchronization for all indications during normal operation. He proposed aligning all calendar information so that modifying one element automatically adjusts the rest. Thus, if the user advances the 24-hour wheel by a complete revolution, the day, date, moon phase, and year also progress accordingly. As a quick clarification, this differs from setting the date by moving the minute hand 24 times…calendar adjustments occur at the crown’s position one, while time-setting happens at position two. This is precisely what you find in the four new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 models for 2024 – and it rings true for each other type of perpetual calendar in the current IWC collections. These four pieces demonstrate the features of IWC perpetual calendars, as they belong to the same collection and share additional qualities.
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
All models measure approximately 44.4mm in diameter and 14.9mm in thickness, showcasing the hallmark barely-there Portugieser bezel. This design offers ample dial space for the numerous indications of the IWC perpetual calendar, including the distinguished double moon phase feature at noon. It can be argued that the Portugieser design is the most suitable for the information-dense perpetual calendar, and it may surprise you that this classic complication was only introduced to the collection in 2003. The Big Pilot model also fits well, though that line is best displayed with only the essentials on the dial.
So, what can we find on the dials of these perpetual calendars? The moon phase display accurately reflects the moon phases visible in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The date and power reserve indicators are located within the same subdial at 3 o’clock, while the day of the week pairs with the running seconds in another subdial at 9 o’clock. The month is indicated on its own at 6 o’clock. These displays harmoniously balance the overall appearance of the dial. Notably, positioned at 10 o’clock is the digital year display, slightly apart from the rest.
Establishing a Legacy
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
Working diligently beneath the dial (the Horizon Blue variant is particularly stunning in person) is the calibre 52616, which comprises a base movement with an extended power reserve of seven days and features the perpetual calendar module alongside the motionworks. This calendar system exemplifies Kurt Klaus’ brilliance and signifies his legacy, as previously discussed. Revisiting that narrative, Klaus realized that the calendar system could undergo simplification, significantly benefiting users. Consequently, calibre 52616 contains approximately 385 components, of which only 81 pertain to the perpetual calendar module. IWC credits Klaus with the concept of detaching the calendar module from the base movement. Moreover, by synchronizing the calendar indications, including the moon phase display, Klaus eliminated the standard correctors commonly found in most perpetual calendars. This design choice minimizes the number of components, permits more durable cases, and enhances user friendliness. For IWC, this represents an ideal scenario, as the brand has built a reputation for crafting tool watches.
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
When examining the current lineup of four watches, you might not naturally associate ‘tool watch’ with any of them. Similar to the other Horizon Blue or Dune dial variants, these Portugieser models are encased in white gold. Conversely, the Obsidian and Silver Moon dial versions are encased in Armor Gold. All four dials are not treated with galvanization or PVD; instead, they showcase a finish achieved through 15 layers of transparent lacquer, elevating these timepieces beyond mere tool watches. Emphasizing this distinction are the gold-applied numerals, which are applied by hand, contributing to a meticulous production process that IWC estimates consists of up to 60 steps for dial creation.
Additional features of the watches also challenge preconceived notions of sheer functionality. These include Santoni alligator straps available in four matching colors and double box-glass sapphire crystals. Unusually, each model’s hands are gold-plated (rhodium-plated for the Horizon Blue variant) rather than being solid as one might typically expect. This specification may warrant reevaluation later, so keep an eye out for modifications in these models’ specifications if they pique your interest without prompting an immediate purchase. In terms of pricing, all the gold models exceed SGD 60,000, which represents reasonable value.
This article will feature in WOW’s forthcoming Legacy Issue.
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