ince its introduction in 1998, the Portugieser Chronograph has brought a touch of sporty elegance to IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser collection. With its two vertically arranged subdials and an inner flange with a quarter-second scale, the chronograph has established itself as one of the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s most recognizable and popular watch designs. IWC now presents a creative reimagining of this timeless classic: the first all-black version crafted from Ceratanium.

“With its clean, pure and timelessly relevant aesthetic, the Portugieser Chronograph has captivated me from the beginning. I am excited to combine this unique design with Ceratanium, one of our most significant material innovations. The all-black execution is different from anything we have ever done before. It emphasizes the chronograph’s mere shape, ensuring that nothing distracts the eye from its distinctive silhouette.” - Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC Schaffhausen.

Limited to 1,500 pieces, the Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium (Ref. IW371631) features a 41-millimetre case, crown and pushers crafted from Ceratanium. Developed by IWC, this advanced material combines the lightness and robustness of titanium with a hardness and scratch-resistance similar to that of ceramic.

Another characteristic of Ceratanium, which is based on a special titanium alloy and fired at high temperatures in a kiln, is its distinctive, dark and metallic finish. The all-black design of the chronograph is further enhanced with a black dial, black appliques and black hands. The applied Arabic numerals, indices and quarter-second scale are discreet elevations against the background of the black dial. A black rubber strap with a square pattern complements the monolithic look of this watch.

The Portugieser Chronograph Ceratanium is powered by the IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre, a mechanical chronograph movement engineered with a focus on robustness, reliability and longevity. The column-wheel control mechanism for the chronograph function provides clearly defined phases in the switching sequence and offers distinct tactile feedback when the buttons are pressed. The movement features an automatic doublepawl winding system, which reliably builds up a power reserve of 46 hours in the mainspring.