IWC Portugieser Cal. 982 “Missing Link”- 1980

What an iconic timepiece!! It was in the late 1930s that Messrs. Rodrigues and Antonio Teixera approached IWC with a request for a large sized man’s wristwatch with the precision of a marine chronometer. The birth of the Ref. 325. The original watches were delivered in 1939 but were not a commercial success. The market was not yet ready for a large 42mm watch with a pocket watch movement. Sales were so low that it was no longer even featured in the IWC catalogue starting 1945. In fact up until the 1970s less that 250 examples were documented in the IWC sales. In 1957 IWC received a new order from Portugal for the reference 325, confident that this was a rebirth for this reference, IWC ordered 100 cases but only 16 watches were assembled and delivered. Hope reared its head in 1973 when a Geneva based dealer Golay Fils & Stahl contacted IWC showing interest in large sized wristwatches. IWC once again made a new batch of the reference 325 using the cases stored away from the 1953 order but this time housing the pocket watch caliber 982, an improved version of the Calibre 98 used in the models originally launched in 1939 but with the integration of a shock absorption system and Glucydur balance. Once again the reference 325 was not met with the success it deserved and these watches ended up in the German market starting 1979 targeting a small but select group of IWC pocketwatch collectors. Ultimately only 57 of these reference 325 with caliber 982 were made. The reference 325 is now today an extremely coveted and desirable piece. This Ref. 325 for sale at WRISTCLASSICS is from approximatley 1980. Only 57 examples were made, called the “Missing Link” as it is a bridge between the original reference 325 from 1939 and the re edition of 1993 made for IWC’s 125th anniversary. The timepiece is overall in excellent condition with its large case, beautiful movement and stunning dial.  

IWC

The International Watch Company has been founded by Ariosto Jones, an American watchmaker and engineer in 1868. In 1901 IWC had already 190 employees. From day one IWC built high quality watches. The most iconic watch by IWC is the Grande Complication. It contains 659 mechanic pieces, among them 71 rubies. It has 17 functions and 12 patents, a perpetual calendar for the next 500 years and the perpetual moon-phase display. Other collectable watches are the IWC Portuguese, IWC Da Vinci, IWC Pilot’s Watches, IWC Portofino, IWC Aquatimer and IWC Ingenieur. After two bankruptcies, IWC came back on the road of success.