The IWC Siderale Scafusia, High-End Watch
IWC Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia, the fantastic watch that measures the sky
During its 148-year history the International Watch Company (IWC) has never made a more expensive,
more complex and more breathtaking watch than the Schaffhausen Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia. The
Sidérale Scafusia is the queen of the magnificent Portugieser series that has had a successful long run
since the pioneer was born in the early thirties.
In the words of Hannes Pantli, member of the Board of Directors at IWC Schaffhausen, the Portugieser
Sidérale Scafusia is “the flag-ship of IWC, the most complex, most complicate and also most expensive
watch that” the IWC “has ever produced”. IWC CEO Georges Ken described the watch as a ‘dreamlike’
machine. 10 years in the making and priced at over 750,000, the Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia is the 17th
descendant of the Portugieser family of watches and is available only on custom order. For its
complexity and nice illusion of power over the stars, the Scafusia is the collector’s dream.
Unique personalized features and complexity of the Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia
The Sidérale Scafusia not only shows solar time i.e. our time, but also star time which is what the watch
is named after. Siderale is the time scale measured through rotation of the earth in relation to the fixed
stars. Siderale time is used by astronomers to locate celestial bodies.
The back of the Sidérale Scafusia watch has a dislpay of the starry sky. However this display is not a
random picture of the sky. It is dyanamic. If you wish to buy the Scafusia, IWC artisans will ask you to
choose a location. Then the watchmaking masters will make sure the back of your Sidérale Scafusia
shows a moving star-studded pattern of the night sky right above your favorite location such as your
house, the first time you met your love, or any location that holds a special place in your heart. The star
disc dynamically rotates to show the stars that would be visible at a given time at night.
Additionally, you have over 200 combinations of choice in the materials you would like to be used to
build the case, the dial which is available in five different metals, the appliqués, the strap and the strap
materials. And in case one does not use the watch for a period of time, the storing pouch for the watch
comes with an automatic wounder that keeps the watch mechanism flowing.
Portugieser Sidérale Scafusia comes with constant-force tourbillon technolgy. Basically, the power of the
mainspring in regular tourbillon slows down but because of the patented constant-force tourbillon in
the Scafusia, the force remains the same for 48 hours which powers the accuracy of Sidérale Scafusia
above the rest. The watch has a power reserve of 96 hours shown in a separate meter on the dial
however Mr. Pantil advises customers to wind the watch after 48 hours to ensure that the “constant
force is always active”.
For time-piece lovers, the variously personalized Sidérale Scafusia is the watch to have and love.
Below are the specs of the watch from the IWC website:
WATCH FRONT
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Case in platinum, 18-carat red gold or 18-carat white gold
Mechanical movement
Hand-wound
2 barrels
Breguet spring
96-hour power reserve when fully wound
Power reserve display at 4.30
Constant-force tourbillon and small seconds at 9 o’clock
Sidereal time at 12 o’clock
Sapphire glass, convex, antireflective on both sides
WATCH BACK
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Perpetual calendar with leap year display and absolute day of the year
Celestial chart showing horizon, ecliptic and celestial equator
Indication for day, night and twilight
Display for sunrise and sunset
Coordinates of chosen location
Sapphire glass
Case height 17.5 mm
Diameter 46 mm