# IWC Portuguese Chrono or Rolex Milguass?



## fallofrome213 (May 30, 2010)

hey everyone,

im new to this thread and decided to post because i want input on which of the following two watches i should get: the IWC Portuguese Chrono, navy croc strap, white face, blue numbers OR the Rolex Milgauss black dial (no GV)

im 21 years old, and recently (somehow) graduated at the top of my class this year from college. my parents are gifting me a watch for graduation. i will be attending law school after taking a year off.

i am including this information just to give you guys a bit of background about myself. this watch will be my first, and i want something that will last me a lifetime (with proper care) and that i can hopefully one day pass down to my kid.

i love both watches, they are truly beautiful. my only concern with the rolex is i hear it is a scratch magnet, and i hope to wear the watch as an everyday watch. also, the rolex attracts much more attention than the IWC, something im not sure if it should be an issue. i honestly dont mind but dont really want to be thought of negatively by law school peers, professors, or potential employers for having what some might consider a flashy rolex at a young age. Fewer people (or at least my peers) know what an IWC is, and the IWC is also less attention-grabbing. also, while i love the unique look of the rolex, and the lightning bolt hand, im worried i might grow bored of the look, whereas the IWC seems a bit more timeless. 

i honestly dont know if any of these concerns are legitimate so id love input from all of you out there.

and those concerns aside, i love the SS bracelet on the rolex, the beautiful, subtle anthracite color of the dial, the laser etched repeating rolex name on the frange, and all the other details that make it such a magnificent timepiece

as for the IWC, the croc strap seems like it might be better for everyday use since it wont get scratched up, and if it does i can replace it fairly easily and relatively inexpensively. i love the large face and the subtle details on the dial and would be beyond happy with that watch as well.

any input and help with this decision would be greatly appreciated

thanks all!


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## Manjushaka (Nov 23, 2009)

I'm not sure if the milgauss is anymore attention grabbing than the Portuguese chrono. Looking at your above concerns , I think the Explorer1 would fit your bill more. Timeless, tough, and the average person won't know it's a Rolex until u tell them.


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## Dimer (Jun 24, 2008)

Have you ever looked into the IWC Vintage Collection Ingenieur? It is in about the same category as the Milgauss. The reason for the Milgauss being a scratch magnet are the polished midlinks. The green glass is a very cool feature though 

The Portuguese Chrono is more a dress watch, while the Milgauss is a better watch for everyday use. Just like the (vintage) Ingenieur. Both are tool watches.

I recently bought a Vintage Ingenieur and I love it. With the right strap I can swim with it and it it one of the few mechanical watches I can golf with! It is about the same price as the Portuguese and the Ingenieur is a manufacture watch 

Here is mine:










IWC Catalogue:


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## B189s (May 9, 2010)

Between the 2, I'd go with Port Chrono. It looks better IMO


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## Argon (Apr 14, 2009)

To my mind, the Portuguese chrono is the more timeless design - the proportions are perfect, and there is no unnecessary added detail or clutter. While I quite like the Milgauss, I find the lightening seconds hand a bit gimmicky, and I think it could get old quickly. The Portuguese chrono is the classier piece ;-)


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## everose (Jan 15, 2010)

I own a Milgauss GV.It is a very versatile watch and looks good with a suit or t-shirt and jeans.
In my experience most people do not recognise it as a Rolex as it lacks many recognised Rolex features,eg cyclops/date,rotating bezel,crown lugs,etc.
I like that about Milgauss!!!
It does have many polished surfaces which will scratch over time.The lightening bolt harks back to Milgauss 6541 launched in 1954.It seems to be a feature people either love or hate!!!!!

The GV actually lacks the laser etched crown (lec) at the 6 o'clock position on the crystal unlike the other two versions.

Nighttime lume is worse than normal due to the green crystal.(if that is important to you?!)

I feel the IWC is perhaps a more classic design and will remain timeless.I am not sure i would say that about the GV.
Maybe i suffer from "the grass is always greener " syndrome!!! 
If i were to buy a Milgauss today i would go for the plain black dial version as you are considering.:-!

Both watches are exceptional and i am sure there is no wrong choice here.

Good luck, and congrats on your academic achievement!!!

:-!


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## Mockingbird (Nov 1, 2009)

Rolex has FAR from the best movement ever made, the reality is that Rolex manufactures a mediocre movement, and they have no plans to greatly improve it. While the 3135 is still a good workhorse, and the movements are quite durable, they are FAR from the best movement ever made. I have an extremely long post about the value of Rolex buried somewhere on some site and I'll dig it up if you want. Realistically if you want to compare IWC and Rolex movements we should compare the finest movement from each manufacturer. Because IWC makes watches such as the Grande Complication, which are obviously of superior quality to any Rolex movement, and it's extremely unfair to compare a timepiece with complications to one without, so let's compare the best date complication movement (no other complications) from each manufacture. From Rolex, I'll select the 3135, the time proven workhorse, and from IWC I'll select their 7 day power reserve movement. This already isn't a fair comparison because the IWC is a fairly new movement and it hasn't been perfected yet, while the 3135 has been around for god knows how long. Even with this though, I still vote the IWC 7 day power reserve movement as superior to the Rolex's. Yes, IWC still makes watches with heavily modified ETA movements, and I'm not a huge fan of this, but IWC is trying to step away from that with their new in house movements. Overall, if you're buying an IWC in house movement I would rate that over Rolex any day, but when you're buying a watch with an ETA modified movement, it just comes down to how you feel about that movement. In my opinion, even with the ETA mod. movement, this IWC is of higher quality than the Rolex, and you're getting much more for your money. In addition to this, the IWC is a timeless classic design that you will never tire of, while the Rolex is a trendy design that could go out of style soon.

Sorry for rambling, but in one second I'll attach a picture of some info about IWC in house movements. (I have an IWC book lying around somewhere here)

Here's a few other Portuguese variations you might like as well:
The completely in-house 7 day power reserve movement is the soul behind this beauty (it also comes with blue markers/hands):









And this is the new remastered Yacht Club Portuguese Chronograph, I believe the movement is in-house and it features an integrated hours/minute counter dial:









Those are two designs in the Portuguese line that you may like, but here's two more IWC's (from the pilot line) that you may want to consider because of their similarity to the Millgauss (anti magnetic properties and simpler dial)

First the Big Pilot with the in-house 7 day movement(this is a bad stock pic):









And now the simpler and smaller Mark XVI: (this is basically IWC's closest equivalent to the Millgauss)









Those are my other IWC suggestions, and now don't think I'm an IWC fanboy either! I don't even own one while I own three Rolexes! (16710, 14060M, and a very old SS Airking)

I posted this in the same thread over on the Rolex forum, so here it is again in hopes that you may see it.


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## fallofrome213 (May 30, 2010)

thanks for the responses everyone!

dimer, the ingenieur is very very nice but im not a big fan of the green on the face of the watch. i love what you did with the replacement strap though!

i thought i would let everyone know that i decided to go with the rolex milgauss. ill be posting pictures over at the same thread on the rolex forum once i get it hopefully sometime this weekend 

thanks again


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## Dimer (Jun 24, 2008)

@fallofrome

Congratulations!! The Milgauss is a great watch 

@ Mockingbird

I think IWC's closest equivalent to the Milgauss is the current IWC Ingenieur. Both are designed for the same purpose and both have an inhouse movement and are anti-magnetic.

IWC Ingenieur Mission Earth:










Case Diameter: 46 mm
Bezel: Brushed
Crystal: Sapphire (Anti reflection on both sides)
Dial: Black
Bracelet: Rubber or steel
Movement: Automatic Calibre: 80110
Vibrations: 28 800/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 28
Power Reserver: 44 hours
Water Resistant: 120m

The most unapologetically technical and masculine of all the collections from IWC Schaffhausen has to be the Ingenieur, a watch that has since 1955 been the standard bearer of the brand's no fuss and no frills expertise. Throughout its history, it has been one tough customer for customers who pride themselves on their toughness of character. Indeed, IWC builds these watches for men who want to push boundaries and explore new frontiers.

Take note that caliber 80110 in both models of this watch is an in-house IWC movement that boasts magnetic field protection to 80,000 A/m, Pellaton winding mechanism and integrated shock-absorber system, central seconds hand with stopping device and date with rapid advance via crown. This model is water resistant to 120 meters and has a power reserve of 44 hours.

(http://www.luxury-insider.com)

Pros - Manufacture watch with a proven movement that is anti-magnetic and shock resisitant. I believe it is the only mechanical watch you can golf with! A real toolwatch.

Consideration - It is a big watch and the shape of the watch makes it even look bigger.

Rolex Milgauss:










Case Diameter: 40 mm
Bezel: Polished
Crystal: Sapphire
Dial: Black or White
Bracelet: Oyster
Movement: Automatic Calibre: 3131
Vibrations: 28 800/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 31
Power Reserver: 50 hours
Water Resistant: 100m
Lug Width: 20 mm

The Rolex Milgauss is a special mens watch designed to be resistant to a magnetic flux density of 80,000 A/m or 1,000 gauss (1000=Mille, and thats why the watch is named Milgauss) this means it will continue to keep precision time in highly magnetic environments. It is has a very unique seconds hand that is similar to a lightning bolt. The watch case, bezel, and center links are high polish. Utilizing Rolex's 3131 caliber in-house movement and is C.O.S.C. certified. A very unique and classy timepiece.

(www.watchesandreviews.com)

Pros - Rolex watches are work horses that will last a lifetime and this one is no different, in-house movement, C.O.S.C., unique piece that you will not see very often out in the wild.

Consideration - No date


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## Mockingbird (Nov 1, 2009)

Dimer said:


> @fallofrome
> 
> Congratulations!! The Milgauss is a great watch
> 
> ...


Ahhh what do I know? Haha I sort of like the Ingenieur but the big turnoff for me is the size and the shape. If only the Mark XVI had the same movement and came on a rubber strap


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## kutzi17 (Feb 4, 2010)

Dimer said:


>


Lookin good on a strap!:-!


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## B189s (May 9, 2010)

fallofrome213 said:


> thanks for the responses everyone!
> 
> dimer, the ingenieur is very very nice but im not a big fan of the green on the face of the watch. i love what you did with the replacement strap though!
> 
> ...


Congrats on the Milgauss! :-!

I haven't been able to enter the Rolex forum lately and I'm assuming it's been down due to the hacking again. Were you able to enter lately?


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## Mockingbird (Nov 1, 2009)

Watchphile said:


> Congrats on the Milgauss! :-!
> 
> I haven't been able to enter the Rolex forum lately and I'm assuming it's been down due to the hacking again. Were you able to enter lately?


We're down again, there's a backdoor link, but I forgot what it was. Nobody is currently using it anyway because it runs too slowly on it, and not many people know it. All we can do is wait this out.


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