In the mid-1880s, Florentine Ariosto Jones founded the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen, a German-speaking town in Eastern Switzerland. Although industrialization had already occurred, the Swiss watchmaking was fragmented labor, completed often in people’s houses at that time. Jones is one of the most significant, and also one of the most mysterious, figures in IWC culture.

IWC has opened the world in product design, material discovery, and manufacturing processes for the past 153 years. From the initial periods of employing hydropower by the one Rhine, to the early acceptance of titanium, ceramics, and the development of Ceratanium, our quest for creativity has resulted in extraordinary advances. Every year in the Watches and Wonders exhibition, IWC introduces a few more variants to the Portofino collection. Annually, IWC revises its collections, and the wonderful, exquisite lines in the Portofino collection have an overhaul.

1.  Portofino Automatic 34

The 34 mm IWC Portofino Automatic ref IW357405 attributes a stainless steel case, green dial, 16 mm green alligator leather strap by Santoni with a quick-change system. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 42 hours. The womanly and classy Portofino Automatic 34 perfectly fits on slim wrists and provides excellent wear for solace.

2.  Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days

The 45 mm Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days ref IW510115 attributes a slate-grey dial, 22 mm grey suede strap. It also features a power reserve display, date display, sapphire glass with convex and antireflective coating on both sides, small hacking seconds, and indexless balance with four golden weight screws on the balance rim. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 192 hours. The Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days’ unique appeal comes from the fact that its owner can wind it on a specific weekday. Because of the IWC-manufactured 59210 caliber movement, winding it once will provide the wristwatch with enough fuel to run for a week.

3.  Portofino Automatic 37

The Portofino Automatic 37 ref IW458116 attributes an 18 ct 5N gold case, silver-plated dial, 18 mm dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni. It also features a date display, sapphire glass with convex and antireflective coating on both sides, and central hacking seconds. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 42 hours. The Portofino Automatic 37’s luxurious layout and the significantly smaller case will delight fans of classic wristwatches.

4.  Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37

The Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 ref IW459011 attributes a stainless steel case, silver-plated dial, 18 mm dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 42 hours. The moon phase showcase is more than just a work of art; it also serves as a reminder that, long ever since time could be mechanically evaluated, it was the moon that displayed us the aging process.

5.  Portofino Automatic Moon Phase

The 40 mm Portofino Automatic Moon Phase ref IW459402 attributes a stainless steel case, blue dial, 20 mm black alligator leather strap by Santoni. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 42 hours. The Portofino Automatic Moon Phase is the primary Portofino wristwatch with a 40 mm case diameter and a moon phase view.

6.  Portofino Hand-Wound Tourbillon Rétrograde

The 40 mm Portofino Hand-Wound Tourbillon Rétrograde ref IW516501 attributes an 18 ct 5N gold case, silver-plated dial, 22 mm dark brown alligator leather strap by Santoni. It also features a flying minute tourbillon, hacking tourbillon mechanism, 8-day power reserve, retrograde date display, power reserve display, and sapphire glass with convex and antireflective coating on both sides. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 192 hours. The Portofino Hand-Wound Tourbillon Rétrograde is named after three beautiful risks: the hand-wound movement with an 8-day power reserve, the retrograde date displays that stretch from “8” to “10 o’clock” and the flying tourbillon at “6 o’clock.” 

7.  Portofino Automatic Edition “150 Years”

The 40 mm Portofino Automatic Edition “150 Years” ref IW356519 attributes a stainless steel case, white dial, 20 mm black alligator leather strap. It also features a date display, sapphire glass with convex and antireflective coating on both sides, and central hacking seconds. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 42 hours.

8.  Portofino Chronograph Edition “150 Years”

The 42 mm Portofino Chronograph Edition “150 Years” ref IW391024 attributes a stainless steel case, white dial, 20 mm black alligator leather strap. It also features Chronograph function with hours, minutes, and seconds, day and date display, sapphire glass with convex and antireflective coating on both sides, and small hacking seconds. It has a waterproofness of 3 bars and a power reserve of 44 hours.

Takeaway

Is it worth thinking about? The Portofino Handwound Day & Date has a lot of advantages, and the market value is quite appealing as well. IWC epitomizes the improvement of Southern European eloquence combined with the accuracy of German engineering. The movement is stunning, and applause was sent to IWC for developing it in-house and departing from the standard ebauches of ETA and Valjoux.