IWC - Portugieser Annual Calendar "Pisa"

The IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar "Pisa" was created by IWC in 2016 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Pisa Orologeria. Available at PISA Circle.

Following the presentation of Pisa Circle, the digital platform for watch enthusiasts and collectors, we continue to highlight some of their special editions as we discover them.

After the Panerai L’Astronomo Luminor 1950, this is the time of the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar "Pisa".  

This model was created by IWC in 2016 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Pisa Orologeria, one of the largest European luxury watch retailers.

Produced in just 25 pieces, the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar Edition "Pisa" is characterised by a black dial with classic railway-track-style chapter ring, slim feuille rhodié hands, Arabic numerals and bright orange accents.

The choice of the colour is not fortuitous. In fact, orange can be found in all Pisa Orologeria boutiques due to the use of "cocciopesto", a natural plaster mixing slaked lime with fragments of earthenware or brick that was used in antiquity for walls and pavements.

The 44 mm stainless steel case houses the IWC-manufactured 52850 calibre beating at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) and featuring two barrels to supply a 7-day power reserve as well as the additional torque required to advance the three display discs.

Unlike a perpetual calendar, the annual calendar date switching mechanism is able to take the differing lengths of the individual months into account but not those for the differing numbers of days in February owing to leap years. Once a year, at the end of February, it requires manual correction.

The correction can be performed using the crown so avoiding the use of a corrector, which would have compromised the Portuguese Annual Calendar’s clean design.

Completed by a black alligator strap lined with orange leather on the inner surface, the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar Edition "Pisa" (ref. IW503507) has a retail price of Euro 22,500 and can be found at Pisa Circle as well as at the Pisa flagship store in Milan.