There are a lot of fine watches on the market. Some, by virtue of their combination of presence, heft, quality and mechanical intricacy leave a lasting impression on many levels at once. One such piece for me is the IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar watch.

First of all, I think this IWC watch really makes the best use of the famously large Portuguese case design. With all the subdials, it manages to look technical without being overloaded; it somehow works better to my eyes than the Portuguese Automatic watch, that seems comparatively bare for its size. Then you pick it up; the mass impresses immediately, as does the thickness. The technical substance is equally captivating—I love the IWC Pellaton movement, which has one of the coolest looking structures of any self-winding mechanism out there, and I even love the sound it makes while it winds. What it does is pretty amazing too—a full perpetual calendar, with century indication, and a dual-hemisphere moonphase complication that will have only one day of error in, sit down for this…577 years!

With its massive gold case, the IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar watch swaggers into a room like Leroy Brown. With its commanding size, the aura of the red gold, and the superb finish, there is no question you are in the presence of an amazing watch, even if you aren’t sure exactly what it is. IWC’s slightly smaller Portuguese Perpetual Calendar II watch is no less striking, and perhaps a slightly better choice for classicists; the dial is a bit less busy (due to the non-hemispherical moonphase indicator) and its also available in white gold, for those who prefer a little more understatement.