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An exceptional year of special editions for the Portuguese market
From Vacheron Constantin to Jaeger-LeCoultre, from Breitling to Longines, all the brands made special editions for the Portuguese market.
Fernando Correia de Oliveira
Though small, with just 10 million customers, the Portuguese market is by tradition a well-informed one with a particular taste for mechanical watches. Each year brands produce exclusive models with specific characteristics for Portugal, but 2007 will be a record year for limited editions, with models at all prices.
The connection between aviation and timepieces provided the greatest inspiration although the links between watches and cars, football or heritage were also in evidence. These pieces usually sell out in weeks and are collectors’ items the moment they are launched.
Vacheron Constantin, the oldest Manufacture founded in 1755, made a special Patrimony for Machado Joalheiro, a retailer established in 1880 in Oporto and one of the most prestigious points of sale for Fine Watches in Portugal. This hand-wound mechanical Patrimony is limited to 10 pieces in white gold and 10 pieces in yellow gold. The dial is a unique grey colour and the case back is engraved “Machado Joalheiro” and numbered.
Watches for the air forces
Jaeger-LeCoultre produced a Reverso Squadra engraved with the Rua Augusta Arch, in central Lisbon, to commemorate the renovation of the monument’s clock, an operation that was funded by the brand’s Portuguese agent. Each of the buyers of the 32 automatic GMT special JLCs with yellow gold case will have their name engraved inside the monument, near the clock mechanism.
Other watches explored the spirit and precision that aviation and watches share. Breitling launched a limited edition of 30 of its quartz B-1 in steel, honouring the acrobatic flying team Asas de Portugal whose logo features on the dial. Fortis made a special edition of 130 steel automatic Flieger Chronograph for Bizontes, the Portuguese Air Transport Unit which flies Hercules C-130 planes, and another of 300 for the pilots of TAP Air Portugal, with a titanium case. Zeno produced a limited edition of 70 honouring Portuguese civil aviators and a Mach 1 commemorating the 60th anniversary of the breaking of the sound barrier, limited to 60 pieces and sold only in Portugal. Both are automatic chronographs in steel. Hamilton produced 101 of its automatic chronograph Khaki X-Wind especially for the air force academy’s Esquadra 101 and a Jazz model, also exclusive to the Portuguese market, both in steel.
Culture, football and humanitarian actions
The link between cars and watches was also celebrated this year. Cuervo & Sobrinos launched a special automatic chronograph Torpedo model, limited to 199 pieces in steel, in honour of the Portugal-Spain Classic Cars Run. Raymond Weil unveiled a quartz model, limited to 300 pieces in steel and dedicated to members of the Portuguese Automobile Club.
Linking culture and heritage to watchmaking, Longines issued a limited edition of 77 automatic GMT watches in steel with seven case backs, one for each of the wonders of the world, and a Colombo automatic chronograph with annual calendar, also in steel, limited to 500 pieces and honouring Christopher Columbus. Tissot issued a Seven Wonders of Portugal edition, an automatic steel model with power reserve indicator, limited to 777 pieces and also with seven different case backs.
In football, TAG Heuer issued a special steel quartz model for Benfica, limited to 492 pieces.
Swatch has a long tradition of special editions for the Portuguese market, usually linked to humanitarian actions: the rebuilding of a primary school in East Timor, a nursery for abandoned babies and a unit for hospitalized children. This year, every buyer of the Swatch Perfect World watch contributes six euros to the creation of a temporary welcome centre for children at risk. ■
