2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Watch, November 29, 2010
This review is from: IWC Men's IW371417 Portuguese Chronograph Automatic Watch (Watch)
I bought the IWC Portuguese Chrono via an AD (Authorized Dealer) and although we have never had any problems as yet (almost 9 mo old), we are very, very happy we have the warranty and the cards. We don't wear it every day as it is almost TOO nice to wear, so we aren't "testing" its timekeeping accurace and durability! Suffice it to say, however, we love this watch. We know that it will require maintenance, as with a car. We also know that it will lose some time as it is not quartz, but an automatic with many parts. It is a work of art and is quite beautiful. We have the version with the gold numbers. I like the black face one, too. They are all beautiful!!
Please note that when purchasing a watch that is over a few thousand dollars, please be careful and weigh the pros and cons of buying at a discount via the grey market. Believe it or not, the AD may be able to come close to the grey market price if you're willing to call around, do your due diligence and bargain, bargain, bargain. Perhaps you may pay a small amount over the grey market price, but for peace of mind and RESALE value, it is worth having all your cards in place. You know you're getting not just an authentic watch, but one that is "authorized" by the brand/manufacturer.
However, I understand how compelling it might be to go via the grey market for the price difference. If the watch was a lot less money (1-2k), I would possibly do it. If the discount if more than 50%, I would possibly do it.
The reserve on the automatic is nice, but sometimes I wished that I really broke the bank and bought the 7 day reserve Portuguese Automatic, which retails at over 10k. However, this is a nice "middle ground" between the high end Portuguese Automatic, and a more casual option.
Good luck and welcome to the IWC club, if you do decide to purchase one! It is a nice watch that isn't too overexposed, like the "showy" Rolex. I prefer a watch that is subtle and is known by those in the know. Happy watch shopping!
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0 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good job, November 30, 2009
This review is from: IWC Men's IW371417 Portuguese Chronograph Automatic Watch (Watch)
The transaction went without any problems and the delivery was right on schedule.
Thanks.
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1 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
this watch, January 20, 2010
This review is from: IWC Men's IW371417 Portuguese Chronograph Automatic Watch (Watch)
I was perusing the shopping page during an extreme snowstorm and blizzard and came across this watch while stuck at an Internet cafe and spa. It was priced very high but since I was in Norway, I thought it was priced in Gorsebogs (Swedish currency). Unfortunately, it was in American dollars.
Now the ratio of Gorsebogs (Swedish currency) to American dollars doesn't add up, so you forfeit a lot of conversion points just in the fact that the Gorsebogs (Swedish currency) have deflated due to a recent economic crisis. Since most Swedish currency is now useless, I thought it was still an advantageous idea to purchase the watch, since gold is the new currency of the future.
Well, the watch is not even made out of gold. It is made out of gold Ignots and studded with Afrikanner diamonds.
Now the watch is not handsome at all, it looks like a badly designed Chinese knock up that a 2 dollar used store carries in a back alley in Hong Kong. It takes mini batteries that leak and there's too many hands to know the actual time. There's about 34 functions related to sun dials and the winding apparatus. Apparently you can tell what the date is on 83 sub-continents and on the sun. What use that serves is unbeknownst to me.
I promptly returned the watch for a refund and also included a note explaining that I had nothing personal against the skilled mechanical robotic hands that built this in Karem Indonesia.
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