The IWC Portugieser fake watch was recently treated to upgraded internals in the form of the classic column-wheel 69355 caliber, so a bracelet to match seems like the final step in the evolution of the model which is now inching towards three decades of existence.
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Good things take time, and there’s certainly something to be said about the small changes made over the lifespan of the IWC Replica that make it what it is today – bracelet and all.
Any bracelet would give the watch a more sporty personality, but the bracelet that IWC has chosen for the Fake Portugieser Chronograph lends a particularly rugged aesthetic to the watch, which was originally designed for navigation tasks.
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It’s always been a capable wristwatch with the horological chops to back it up, but now, with a bracelet, it finally looks the part in a way that it never has before.