By Jovan Krstevski
The IWC watch line is synonymous to minimalism and for this reason, I simply love this watch. Gone are the days when the watches are simply made to tell time and to look decently good. These days, for a watch to be called a decent classic watch, investments must be made in order to apply new technology with the aging mechanical timepieces. Classical watches are easily spotted not because of their exuberant prices but because of the simplicity that they still adhere to.
The new addition to the IWC watch line is not an exception to IWC’s legacy. The discreet elegance is simply superb and worth every penny. One glance at this watch and you will simply be taken back in time and if you are in a serious gathering where your mind is being picked at, you’ll be amazed that eyes are somewhat looking at your wrists for that simple yet captivating glitter that allows no deep horology expert to miss.
The case has a diameter of 43.55 mm although it appears quite small because of the arched edged sapphire glass. At this size, the watch appears rather small thanks to the illusion the styled glass creates. The thickness by the way is only 12 mm, that’s astonishingly flat in my opinion. The side of the case is clean with no indifferent noises or obstacles.
The crown is typical of all IWC watches that is classical in nature and proudly made. The bezel sings the same tune as well as the lugs. The circular or angular appearance helps the design of the sapphire glass achieve the illusion of making the watch look smaller. The lugs are nice and neat and easy on the eyes. Overall, the symphony in the Portofino goes undisturbed.
The dial is where the signature of IWC watch line lies. The cleanliness and the serenity is simply stunning. The minimalism is just right although I somehow desire a seconds hand for better functionality. There is no date except the subtle branding of IWC at 12 o’clock and the perennial Swiss trademark at 6 o’clock. If I were to choose between the red gold gold-plated and stainless steel rhodium-plated hands and indices, I would go for the stainless steel because it has better minimalist approach. I like the strong appeal and the subtle metal appearance signaling a mechanical engineering marvel right at my wrists.
Overall, the design of the hands and indices follows the principle of IWC watch line. The hours and minutes feuille hands are undisturbed together with the baton indices. The XII and VI hour markers goes with the signature trademarks surrounding them making the branding look subtle.
The Portofino is powered by an in-house IWC hand-wound 59060 calibre beating at 28,800 vph. It packs a power reserve of 192 hours or 8 days which in my opinion is very remarkable. It is also water resistant to 3 bars. The movement can be carefully examined through the sapphire-glass caseback.
The large-scaled straps are made of high quality genuine leather from Italian shoe manufacturer Santoni adding to the superb classical appeal of the watch. For more info, please visit iwc.com
Jovan Krstevski – Founder, Proprietor & Executive Editor
Watch collector, aficionado and an Event profile in the Swedish nightlife. He launched Watchgeek back in 2011, which is now known as WristReview and is one of the most widely read watch blogs on the Web. He quotes ’WristReview is a site to help people find, explore, discover and enjoy wristwatches.’ His passion jump started in his early teens, when he was given his first mid-range wristwatch which was an Omega Seamaster. Since then he has always been in love with wristwatches! Besides WristReview, he also writes for a number of publications. Read his articles here.
