You’ve got to love a big-brand press release. It’s not even about the veracity of the claims made within these texts. I’d wager that brands rarely lie to customers in black and white. No, it’s more about the way these facts are presented. The utter boldness. The theatre. The shamelessness. It’s magical. It does take a bit of practice to tune your brain to reading press release language but once you’ve tapped into the right wavelength it can provide the kind of entertainment only the greatest inside jokes can.
Why am I saying this? Because the headline of one of IWC’s latest press releases sounds like a parody. Is it the God’s honest truth? Apparently, it is! But that’s not the point. The point is, if you’ve been in or around the watchmaking world for any amount of time and found yourself exposed to this kind of statement, you’ll appreciate it on a deep, almost meta level.
Here it is:
THE IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN PORTUGIESER ETERNAL CALENDAR WITH MOON PHASE ACCURACY OF 45 MILLION YEARS
It doesn’t get much better than that.
IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar - Credit IWC
But hang on a second. Assuming this is true, how on Earth has IWC achieved this stunning feat? Well, it comes down to a totally redesigned reduction gear train that features three wheels. These three wheels are able to accurately track the true lunar cycle which runs for 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.88 seconds (not the neatly-divisible-by-two 29.5 days as many brands would like you to believe) over a very long period, with one day’s worth of errors only accumulating once every 45 million years.
Firstly, this is more accurate than anybody who desires this complication (that basically nobody needs) could reasonably ask it to be. It’s a magnificent technical achievement. Better still, it fits with IWC’s history. The brand is renowned for the legendary perpetual calendar mechanism designed four decades ago by the revered Kurt Klaus. This “eternal” complication is the continuation of that legacy, building on previous attempts to enhance the accuracy of the moonphase. The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. IW3750), released in 1985 had a moon phase that would remain accurate for 122 years. Eighteen years later in 2003, the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar (Ref. IW5021) upped the accuracy to a then-jaw-dropping 577.5 years.
Now, IWC has seriously thrown down the gauntlet. With just one day’s deviation over 45 million years, should we assume the moonphase complication game is over? Obviously, no one needs a more accurate moonphase, but then no one really needs mechanical watches at all. Is this release proof that watchmaking only exists to test the boundaries of what is possible and to serve as an inspiration to other industries that may be charged with carrying out more practical tasks such as saving the world or transporting humanity to the stars? Or is it a seminal moment for the watchmaking game that might make one or two calibre creators stop and take stock? Have we gone too far? Is this refinement too much? On that front, only time will tell.
IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar - Credit IWC
One other point regarding the way this stunning achievement is communicated is the wording. It certainly feels like the moonphase will be 100% laser accurate for 45 million years and suddenly be one day out, but, of course, the inaccuracies (which IWC only acknowledges when they total one whole day), are accruing constantly. In that sense, the achievement (and the possibility that IWC and other brands may see fit to continue upping the theoretical accuracy of their moonphase complications) is more relevant to how the watch actually performs on the wrist. I.E. the IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar with Moonphase is actually more accurate day-to-day than 2003’s Perpetual and not solely after 577.5 years has passed.
What I’m sure you’re all dying to know, therefore, is exactly how inaccurate a moonphase accurate to within one day over 45 million years is on a daily basis. After making several missteps in the calculation I’m (relatively) confident that a one-day inaccuracy over a 45-million-year period amounts to a deviation of 0.000052602912 seconds per day (give or take three seconds over 45 million years).
To cut a potentially very long story short, IWC’s technical wizardry here is unquestionably magnificent. Having simulated over three trillion combinations of gears before settling on the very best one the developers could identify, the brand has written the most exciting chapter yet in its quest to be regarded as the master of the calendar complication.
Our Choice of Straps:
The IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar comes on a smart black alligator leather strap as standard, but what if you fancy a change or black isn’t your colour? The WatchGecko store has straps to suit every timepiece and we’ve come up with a couple of great matches. The Rochefort Flat Patina strap arrives in 9 neutral tones and is a perfect versatile addition. Meticulously crafted by hand in Belgium, each strap is unique and timelessly charming. For something a little bolder, try the Mozet strap, handmade with velvety Nubuck leather for a luxurious finish.
Technical specifications
- Name: IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Eternal Calendar
- Reference: IW505701
- Movement: IWC-manufactured automatic calibre 52640, with a 7-day (168-hour) power reserve
- Case dimensions: 44.4 mm wide, 15 mm thick, water-resistant to 50 metres
- Case material: Platinum
- Crystal: Sapphire, double box-glass, antireflective coating on both sides
- Dial: Glass dial with white lacquer, rhodium-plated hands and applied numerals
- Strap: Black alligator leather strap from Santoni, with platinum folding clasp
