New Launch: IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph ‘Orlebar Brown’

IWC is quite a popular name in the watchmaking world. Originally known as the International Watch Company, the brand itself is a symbol of human determination and vision. Its founder, Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled all the way from the United States of America to Switzerland and laid down the groundwork for the watchmaker. He wanted to combine American industrial practices with the globally famed Swiss horology. Perhaps the aptest watch to fill in the above description would be the IWC Portugieser, a timepiece that has successfully left its mark in the annals of high horology.

But this isn’t a history lesson. This is about the future of the Portugieser, and specifically the Portugieser Chronograph. The Portugieser Chronograph saw the light for the first time in 1998. The timepiece has, ever since, become one of the most iconic, the most sought-after, and definitely the most popular of the Portugieser models. Carrying on this tradition of extravagance coupled with mechanical ingenuity is the all-new IWC Portugieser Chronograph Yacht Club Orlebar Brown.

IWC’s Latest: The Portugieser Chronograph Yacht Club ‘Orlebar Brown’

The brand has already launched a series of Portugieser timepieces in 2020. The newest addition to this family of great mechanical watches is the Yacht Club Orlebar Brown. Orlebar Brown is a British resort-swimwear brand. It founded in the year 2007 by Adam Brown and is currently led by CEO Paul Donoghue and Brown himself under the ownership of Chanel. IWC has collaborated with the British clothing brand to offer a fresh wave of timepieces for yachting enthusiasts. The nautically inspired timepiece is every bit of classy and invigorating you could imagine. Furthermore, the new collection is pitch-perfect for the yachting niche audience it caters to.

What’s New?

The watch features an impressive 44.6 mm wide stainless steel case that comes with IWC’s in-house manufactured movement, Calibre 89361. The dial is marine blue in colour and has white as well as red elements to complement the timepiece’s aesthetics. While the classic rhodium-plated hands and appliques are central to the watch’s design, features like the central seconds’ hand and the sub-dials located at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock for running seconds and chronograph tally, respectively, are crucial from a functional standpoint. Oh, and in addition to that, the sub-dial at 6 o’clock has a date display as well.

But the true highlight of this timepiece would be the strap. Yes, the strap. The strap and the buckle introduced in this timepiece are unique. Let’s just begin by saying that it is inspired by Orlebar Brown’s very own technology for making men’s swim shorts. These shorts are famed for their sophisticated and intelligent construction. They are crafted with about 60 elements and are fitted with a unique 4-part shaped waistband, a zip fly closure, and most importantly, adjustable side fasteners in order to fit the wearer just perfectly. Now, a closer look at the rubber strap in the new Yacht Club Chronograph would tell you that it has textile inlays and it fastens around the wrist via a buckle fastening system similar to the above-mentioned shorts. Fascinating, isn’t it? The strap is also co-branded with both the names of IWC and Orlebar Brown.

The Movement

As mentioned earlier, the watch utilises an in-house manufacture Calibre 89361 that musters up a power reserve of up to 68 hours. The movement offers a totalizer display at 12 o’clock that is responsible for stopwatch hours as well as minutes. Apart from that, its chronograph module has a flyback feature that allows for smooth and hassle-free use of the chronograph function. In the sub-dial at 6 o’clock, you will find a hacking small seconds coupled with a date display. With a water resistance of just 60 meters, the wearer might be left wanting for more but the screw-down crown does a good job in providing adequate protection. Users can also view the magnificence of IWC’s mechanical prowess via a see-through case back.

The timepiece creates the perfect mood for a ‘yacht club’ with various elements at play. The blue strap with both the brand’s names on it, the marine blue dial, and the waterproof nature of the rubber bracelet, all of it comes together to create an iconic nautical-inspired chronograph.