The Case, Dial, and Hands
The IWC Portugieser Minute Repeater Ref. IW5242-02 Replica has a diameter of 43.00mm and a thickness of 12.50mm. Inspired by pocket watches, Portuguese watches do tend to have larger cases. Measuring 43.00 x 12.50 mm, the Ref. IW5242-02 is 1.00 mm larger than its predecessor, but can still be worn on the average wrist without dangling due to the sharply sunk lugs.
By comparison, its successor, the IW544907 as we know it today, has a massive 44.2mm diameter and 14.0mm thickness — sizes that definitely require a larger-than-average wrist size to wield.
The Best Replica Watch IW5242-02 brown alligator strap ends with a sturdy all-gold deployant clasp as a counterbalance, and despite the large head, the IW5242-02 fits securely on the wrist without feeling top-heavy.
The case is made of rose gold with contrasting finishes, from the satin-brushed sides and repeater rail to the polished crown, repeater rail and bezel. The slender concave bezel highlights the great power of the dial.
The original Portuguese minute repeater Luxury Swiss Fake Watch was fitted with plexiglass instead, so the introduction of sapphire crystal into the second-generation striker can be seen as a turning point towards a more modern design.
The dial features a minimalist design, with Arabic numerals and feuille hands applied, in a distinctly Portuguese style. For this rose gold version, the dial is silver opaline with a fine concentric guilloche on the seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock.
The main difference between the first and second-generation Portuguese minute repeater dials is the “IWC” logo and the minute and second tracks. The IW5242-02 is another hallmark of the new IWC Fake Watches. Samples before the mid-00s tend to feature dots within minutes and bars within seconds.
The Movement
While the case and dial have changed relative to its predecessor, the movement remains the same. The IW5242-02 is the 54-jewel 95290 movement that also powered the first Portuguese minute repeater in 1995.
In the spirit of the original Portuguese watches of the 1930s, the 95290 movement is inspired by the old Cheap IWC Replica Calibre 95 pocket watch movement. The size of the movement is simply a match made in heaven, it fills almost the full 43mm of the case.
Having said that, it’s not just about size – it’s also about architecture. The Calibre 95290 has the finger bridges typical of a pocket Charming Fake Watches movement, opening large enough to reveal the entire gear train from the crown wheel to the escape wheel.
The structure of the Calibre 95290 is modular. The minute repeater, designed by Renaud et Papi, is located behind the dial, invisible from the sapphire crystal case back. The chimes of the Calibre 95290 can be described as soft and sweet.
It’s obviously not going to be the loudest minute repeater, especially compared to the high-end IWC Replica Watch of the past decade, but it has a certain musicality that will stir the emotions of connoisseurs. The beauty of the Calibre 95290 is that on the bottom you have a vintage pocket watch movement and on the top you have the “new school” Renaud et Papi Haute Horlogerie – the best of both worlds.
The finish of the Calibre 95290 is exemplary, which you can see through the sapphire crystal case back. The bridges are Côtes de Genève, with beveled and polished edges. There are not only rounded corners in the movement, but IWC Replica sharp outward corners that are more difficult to execute. The base plate is adorned with plenty of pearl, while the heads of the screws that hold the bridges are polished.
IWC Portugieser Best Replica Watch have historically been oversized. Also measuring 43 mm in diameter, the first Portugieser was driven by a pocket watch movement in savonette construction: the Calibre 74.