IWC Schaffhausen and its partner Solaris Yachts have jointly worked on a very special customised sailing yacht. A 55-foot Solaris 55 from the Italian boatbuilder was designed to perfectly reflect the spirit and visual codes of the new Portugieser watch collection. The yacht’s name “DOUBLE MOON” refers to the iconic moon-phase indication of IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar complication.

The history of the IWC Portugieser is inextricably linked to seafaring, sailing and navigation. In the late 1930s, the watchmakers from Schaffhausen developed the first Portugieser, a wristwatch with the precision of a marine chronometer. Its clean, functional dial took inspiration from the deck observation watches of the time; nautical precision instruments used for navigation. With the new collection, IWC continues the maritime legacy of the Portugieser and introduces a broad range of attractive new models, all of which are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres and feature a timelessly modern design inspired by the world of modern yachting.

To make the universe of the Portugieser tangible in a never-before-seen way, designers from IWC and Solaris Yachts joined forces to create a customised sailing yacht. The starting point was the Solaris 55, a 55-footlong racer/cruiser which is optimised for performance sailing with a small crew but also offers maximum comfort for extended cruising. The creative specialists carefully adapted the yacht to different design codes found in the new IWC Portugieser collection, while at the same time making sure that it perfectly represents the look and feel of the brand’s new advertising campaign.The yacht’s name, “DOUBLE MOON”, is reminiscent of the unique moon-phase display of IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar. Presented for the first time in 2003 in the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar (Ref. 5201), it correctly depicts the phase of the moon as seen in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

“The Solaris 55 is an elegant and modern sailing yacht with sleek lines, sport-inspired features and high-quality furnishings. It perfectly matches the nautical universe of the Portugieser. As a long-time sailor, I am particularly pleased that our most iconic watch family can now finally set sail,”

Christian Knoop, Creative Director of IWC Schaffhausen.