IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 IW501709 Year of the Horse: specs, siblings, prices and buying checks

The IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 IW501709 is the Year of the Horse edition of IWC's 42 mm Portugieser Automatic: a stainless steel case of about 42.4 mm, a red dial with the applied Arabic numerals and railway minute track that define the Portugieser, a see-through sapphire caseback and a leather strap, built on the Portugieser Automatic 42 platform that IWC renewed in 2024 with its 52000-family in-house calibre and about seven days of power reserve. It is a Chinese zodiac edition for 2026, the Year of the Horse, and it carries a premium over the standard-dial IW5017xx references. This guide covers the specifications, what the 2024 platform changed from the previous 42.3 mm Portugieser Automatic, how the IW501709 compares with its blue, dune and silver siblings and with the smaller Portugieser 40, how it wears, dealer prices in 2026 and what to check before buying. Bizak & Co. sources the IW501709 to order; the IWC Portugieser collection lists the configurations we can seek.

Last reviewed on October 5, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.

IWC Portugieser IW501709 specifications

Sources: the Portugieser Automatic 42 platform figures are IWC's published specifications for the 2024 line; the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH for the Swiss Made rules that govern the movement and case, and Phillips Watches for how zodiac and boutique editions have been catalogued at auction. Figures we could not confirm for the edition itself are described qualitatively.

What is the Year of the Horse edition?

IWC has issued a Chinese zodiac edition of a Portugieser most years since the mid-2010s, usually a strong single-colour dial on an existing case with a motif on the caseback or rotor, timed for the Lunar New Year. The IW501709 is the 2026 entry, the Year of the Horse, and red is the traditional colour of celebration and good fortune in Chinese culture, which is why zodiac editions across Swiss houses lean toward red and gold. The watch is otherwise a Portugieser Automatic 42, so the questions that matter are the same as for any IW5017xx: is the calibre the seven-day 52000 family (it is), is the case the slimmer 2024 one (it is), and does the red dial suit you. Treat the zodiac story as a reason the edition is harder to find rather than a reason it is a better watch. Whether IWC published a production number for the IW501709 is something to confirm on the warranty paperwork and the brand's product page; we do not state a figure we cannot support.

What changed from the 42.3 mm Portugieser Automatic?

• Case. The 2024 Portugieser Automatic 42 (IW5017xx) replaced the IW5007xx 42.3 mm case with a slightly larger 42.4 mm case that is slimmer and has a more refined profile, with a wider, flatter bezel and a convex crystal. The difference on paper is small; on the wrist the 2024 case sits lower.
• Movement. The IW5007xx used calibre 52010; the IW5017xx uses calibre 52011 in the same family. Both are seven-day Pellaton automatics with two barrels; the 52011 brings the updated finishing and the newer generation of the base calibre.
• Water resistance. The 2024 line moved from 3 bar to 5 bar, which removes the caution that made the earlier Portugieser a strictly dry-weather watch.
• Dials. The 2024 launch introduced the "Horizon Blue", "Dune", "Silver Moon" and "Obsidian" dials with a lacquer finish that is deeper than the earlier sunburst and silver-plated dials. The IW501709's red follows the same construction.

Bizak's catalogue on October 5, 2026 still listed earlier-generation 42.3 mm Portugieser Automatics, including a red-dial IW500714, which is the closest comparison for a buyer who wants a red Portugieser without the zodiac premium.

IW501709 vs IW501704, IW501705 and IW501702: which Portugieser Automatic 42?

The red dial costs about US$1,600 more than the blue and about US$2,500 more than the dune or silver on our catalogue, and the watches are mechanically identical. If the zodiac edition is the point, the premium is the price of scarcity; if a Portugieser Automatic 42 is the point, the Horizon Blue IW501704 and Dune IW501705 are the same watch with a quieter dial and easier sourcing.

Portugieser 42 or Portugieser 40?

IWC sells the Portugieser Automatic in two sizes. The Portugieser Automatic 40 (IW3583xx) is 40.4 mm with calibre 82200, a single-barrel Pellaton automatic with about 60 hours of reserve and no power-reserve display, so the dial is a cleaner two-register layout. The 42 is the one with the seven-day movement and the power-reserve hand at 3. On our catalogue on October 5, 2026 the steel Portugieser 40 references such as the blue-dial IW358305 sat around US$7,110 brand new, roughly half the IW501709. The 40 suits wrists under about 17 cm and buyers who want a dress watch first; the 42 suits buyers who want the Portugieser's original pocket-watch proportions and the long reserve. There is no Year of the Horse version of the 40 in our catalogue.

How does the IW501709 wear?

The Portugieser Automatic 42 is a large dress watch. At about 42.4 mm with slim bezel and a lug-to-lug a little over 50 mm, it covers more wrist than a 42 mm sports watch because the dial opening is so wide; the 2024 case is slimmer than the previous generation, which helps it under a cuff. The leather strap with a folding clasp keeps the weight modest for a steel watch. A red lacquer dial reads darker in low light and brighter in sun than product photography suggests, and the applied numerals and leaf hands give it contrast that a sunburst would not. Wrists of 17 cm (6.7 inches) and above carry it comfortably; below that, the 40 is the better fit.

How much is an IWC Portugieser IW501709? Dealer prices in 2026

• Retail. IWC publishes the list price on its product page; in 2026 the steel Portugieser Automatic 42 has sat in the low-to-mid US$10,000s at retail, and zodiac editions are priced a little above the equivalent standard dial. Ask an IWC boutique for the current figure, since retail prices move each year.
• Secondary market. Zodiac editions from IWC have historically traded close to retail in their launch year and then follow the demand for the colour: red Portugieser dials have a smaller following than blue, so the premium rests on scarcity rather than on broad demand.
• Bizak catalogue ask. Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the IW501709 at US$15,499 brand new on October 5, 2026, sourced to order, with full box and papers to be confirmed before any balance is paid.

Those figures describe what we saw and will move. Ask for a dated quote for the exact watch and paperwork; our price guide explains how to compare dealer quotes, and the method applies to IWC as much as to Rolex.

Is the Portugieser Year of the Horse a good investment?

It is a watch to own rather than to trade. Zodiac editions from any Swiss house are collected by a narrow group, usually buyers born in or marking that year, and they sell best to that group. A full-set IW501709 should hold close to what a standard Portugieser Automatic 42 holds, plus some of its scarcity premium, but it is unlikely to behave like a steel Rolex or a Nautilus. Buy it because the red dial and the horse connection matter to you; if resale is the first question, the blue or dune dial with the same movement is the lower-risk purchase.

Buying an IW501709: what to check

• Warranty paperwork. IWC registers the watch digitally and the warranty card or certificate should show the reference IW501709 and the serial that appears on the caseback. Ask for the activation date; a watch sold months after activation has lost that much of the eight-year extended warranty that IWC offers on registration.
• Caseback. The sapphire caseback should be free of scratches and show the Pellaton winding system and the rotor; look for the zodiac motif the edition carries and confirm it against IWC's images.
• Dial. Red lacquer shows dust and tool marks readily. Check the printing of the railway track and the alignment of the applied numerals under a loupe; ask for photographs in daylight rather than under a ring light.
• Power reserve. Fully wound, the reserve hand should sit at the top of its scale and the watch should still be running after six days off the wrist.
• Strap and clasp. An unworn strap has no crease at the first holes and no polish on the clasp's contact edges; a swapped strap is not a fault but should be disclosed.
• Price against the band. A full-set zodiac edition offered well below the standard IW5017xx asks is the most reliable warning sign.

Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch.

Quick answers

How much is an IWC Portugieser Year of the Horse IW501709?

Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the IW501709 at US$15,499 brand new on October 5, 2026, sourced to order. The standard-dial Portugieser Automatic 42 references sat between US$12,960 and US$13,860 on the same day.

What movement is in the IWC Portugieser IW501709?

An IWC-manufactured 52000-family automatic with Pellaton winding, two barrels and about seven days of power reserve; the standard Portugieser Automatic 42 lists calibre 52011. The movement is visible through the sapphire caseback.

What size is the IW501709?

About 42.4 mm across and about 12.4 mm thick in stainless steel, the Portugieser Automatic 42 case IWC introduced in 2024. It wears large because of the wide dial opening and suits wrists of about 17 cm and up.

What is the difference between the IW501709 and the IW501704?

The dial. The IW501709 is the red Year of the Horse edition and the IW501704 is the regular-production Horizon Blue; case, movement and strap are otherwise the same. On October 5, 2026 our catalogue asked about US$1,600 more for the red.

Is the IWC Portugieser Year of the Horse limited?

It is a zodiac edition sold for the 2026 Lunar New Year with a limited window rather than a regular catalogue reference. Confirm any numbered production on the paperwork and IWC's product page; we do not state a figure we cannot support.

Request an IWC Portugieser IW501709 sourcing quote

Tell us whether you want the Year of the Horse red or a standard dial, the condition and paperwork you require, your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, paperwork and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: IW501709 Year of the Horse, IW501704 Horizon Blue, IW501702 Silver Moon; browse the Portugieser collection, the IWC collection, or sell or trade your IWC.

Related reading: IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW502213 guide · IWC "The Last Flight" chronograph IW388006 guide · Watch nicknames explained · How to sell a watch to a dealer.