IWC Portofino Watches

For more than the past three decades, one family member of the IWC has remained highly popular and it is none other than the Portofino watch. IWC Portofino is a fishing village that is spotted on the Italian Riviera coastline, southeast of Genoa city – its lifestyle of abundance and serenity is what inspired the IWC for its Portofino collection. The design of the IWC Portofino highlights its elegance.

It all began in 1984 when IWC released its first model of Portofino 5251. It was regarded as the most elegant watch of its time as it was blended with bold elements such as an oversizes case along with a relatively slim profile. Its unique features included the long Breguet-style hands and elongated Roman numerals. What set the IWC watch apart from the crowd is its characteristic of moon phase complication that was placed at its three o'clock. This moon was spectacularly decorated in gold and was displayed against a backdrop of blue. The contrast that was brought by this combination of white subdial and the golden moon is what got its name – The Fried Egg.

Later in the year 1988, IWC released its other Portofino references (3730 and 3731) which made use of, the Jaeger LeCoultre Mechaquartz, Calibre 631. This IWC Portofino Chronograph Quartz was equipped with a rotating date display and was made available for the ladies as well. The IWC Portofino 2010, which was released in the year 1993, was the one which stood out from the rest of the IWC family line as it was the smallest and the most delicate timepiece (it measured just 1.85 mm in thickness). The IWC watch featured the two usual hands that were driven by the flat hand-wound movement and was powered by Calibre H/849. Although this member was manufactured and sold only from 1993 to 2005.

The year 1995 saw the release of IWC Romana Perpetual Calendar whose design was perfectly refined and sophisticated. The Ref. 2050 was part of the IWC Portofino line from 1995 to 2001 and is regarded amongst the thinnest wristwatches in the world that could hold the feature of a perpetual calendar.

2003 is the year when IWC Portofino finally introduced the automatic characteristic in its timepieces. This IWC Portofino Automatic measured 38 mm and came with the Ref. 3533. It gained immediate popularity due to its classical design and contemporary size. 2008 saw the IWC Portofino Vintage collection which came with the moon phase collaboration along with Roman numerals – reviving the timeless elegance that was found in its original timepieces. Powered by the 98800 Calibre movement, the watch displayed the lunar phase at its 12 o’clock and the seconds at its 6 o’clock.

The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days is what placed the brand on the map. Introduced in its new 2011 collection, this model came with the Ref. 5101 and featured the 59210 Calibre movement with a power reserve of 8 days. Furthermore, in 2014, the IWC released its mid-sized watches which consisted of IWC Portofino Automatic 37. With a case size of just 37 mm, these timepieces are just simple and elegant that can be placed perfectly on the slender wrists.

2017 saw the release of IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase. These IWC Portofino chronograph watches were integrated with the moon phase display and powered the in-house manufactured calibre 59800. It paid tribute to its previous releases such as the Ref. 5251 which featured similar complications.

IWC celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2018 with certain releases. The newer models are manufactured with white or blue lacquer dials and feature Roman numerals with complete leaf-shaped hands. These IWC Portofino watches are made of stainless steel and hold the calibre 35111. Measuring 40 mm in diameter, they are also water resistant up to 3 bar. The back case of this IWC limited edition has an engraving depicting the "150 years". Along with Sapphire glass for scratch protection, these watches are made available on alligator leather strap, measuring a width of 20 mm. They feature the date display and are limited to just 2000 pieces. Hence these beautiful and drool-worthy collections by IWC Portofino is simply apt to fit the needs of any occasion and style. So if you are looking for some luxury watches, these IWC watches feature easy and laid back charm that richly bring out the lifestyle of IWC Portofino and is perfect for the adventure seekers.