Watch Paparazzi

Actor Kevin Spacey spotted wearing IWC

Between 2013 and 2018, Netflix's House of Cards built one of television's most meticulously art-directed wardrobes, and the watch department was no exception. Production designers consistently placed IWC timepieces on the wrist of Kevin Spacey's Francis Underwood, treating the brand as a visual shorthand for patrician power. Among the references documented on set, the stainless steel IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371604 on a black alligator strap appears with notable frequency — a choice that reads as entirely intentional given the character's carefully cultivated image of restrained dominance.

The IW371604 sits at the heart of IWC's Portugieser family, a line that traces its origins to 1939 when two Portuguese merchants commissioned unusually large, pocket-watch-movement-equipped wristwatches. The modern Chronograph variant measures 41mm in stainless steel and houses IWC's Calibre 69355, a column-wheel, flyback chronograph movement developed in-house. The flyback function allows the chronograph to be reset and restarted with a single pusher depression — a genuine complication that separates this piece from simpler, cam-controlled chronographs in the same price tier. Power reserve stands at 68 hours via an automatic rotor.

The dial architecture on the IW371604 follows the Portugieser template collectors have come to regard as near-canonical: applied Arabic numerals, a railway-track minute scale at the periphery, two subsidiary registers at three and nine o'clock, and a date window at six. The result is legible, formal, and — critically for a TV production — reads clearly on camera without appearing flashy under studio lighting.

For collectors, the IW371604 occupies a respected position. It offers an in-house flyback movement at a price point that undercuts many Swiss competitors offering equivalent technical content. Resale values have held steadily, helped by the Portugieser's enduring design continuity and IWC's consistent international marketing presence. The House of Cards association adds a layer of pop-culture provenance that enthusiasts note, even if the circumstances surrounding Spacey's later career complicate that legacy.

At a list price of $7,950, the IWC Portugieser Chronograph IW371604 occupies the accessible end of the serious chronograph segment. Grey-market pricing has typically tracked close to retail, reflecting stable demand rather than speculative heat — exactly the profile of a watch chosen to project competence over extravagance.