93rd Auction
2016/5/14
Lot 439
International Watch Co., Schaffhausen "Portuguese" - so called "Missing Link", Movement No. 2286202, Case No. 1455190, Cal. 982, 42 mm, circa 1967
A gentleman's almost as new and rare wristwatch sold on 12/07/1981 to IWC Frankfurt - with original box and extract from the archives
Case: steel, push back, IWC buckle. Dial: silvered. Movm.: bridge movement, Glucydur screw balance.
"Portuguese Missing Link"
The so-called Portuguese watch was created to order for two Portuguese brothers in the 1940s; as they wished for an extra precise watch IWC used a pocket watch calibre. However, the demand for the model was not very great and only about 80% of the series had been sold by 1946. The remaining movements, cases and dials for circa 140 watches were put in storage. In the late 1970s 83 Portuguese watches were produced for a small order and the old parts were used, while new dials were created for some of the pieces. In the late 1980s again a small number of the model was ordered - but the original parts had disappeared from the stock and have not resurfaced since. The Portuguese watches of the 1970s are often called "the missing link", because they tie the original Portuguese of the 1940s to the anniversary model IWC launched for its 125-year anniversary and because they come from a series whose parts are lost.
Source: http://www.goerter.de/IWCFORUM/Der%20nd%20einer%20Original%20Portugieser%28deutsch%29.pdf, as of 09/24/2010
A gentleman's almost as new and rare wristwatch sold on 12/07/1981 to IWC Frankfurt - with original box and extract from the archives
Case: steel, push back, IWC buckle. Dial: silvered. Movm.: bridge movement, Glucydur screw balance.
"Portuguese Missing Link"
The so-called Portuguese watch was created to order for two Portuguese brothers in the 1940s; as they wished for an extra precise watch IWC used a pocket watch calibre. However, the demand for the model was not very great and only about 80% of the series had been sold by 1946. The remaining movements, cases and dials for circa 140 watches were put in storage. In the late 1970s 83 Portuguese watches were produced for a small order and the old parts were used, while new dials were created for some of the pieces. In the late 1980s again a small number of the model was ordered - but the original parts had disappeared from the stock and have not resurfaced since. The Portuguese watches of the 1970s are often called "the missing link", because they tie the original Portuguese of the 1940s to the anniversary model IWC launched for its 125-year anniversary and because they come from a series whose parts are lost.
Source: http://www.goerter.de/IWCFORUM/Der%20nd%20einer%20Original%20Portugieser%28deutsch%29.pdf, as of 09/24/2010
Sold
estimated
10.000—20.000 €
Price realized
14.900 €