Pre SIHH 2015: The new IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic

Shortly before Christmas, and also shortly before the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie starts. This means that we get to show you more novelties, and today we get to show you the newest IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic: a classically styled, hand-wound, dress watch. Although that might sound boring for some, we suggest to take a closer look because it’s an IWC, and there some typical IWC ingredients as well.

IWC’s Portofino collection is a clean, simple and lovely balanced collection. No loud colours, no crazy design. However the size of pretty much all models in this collection was quite… manly. The diameter of most all models are 42mm or 45mm, except the Portofino Automatic that measures a modest 40mm in diameter. Just a few months ago IWC added no less than 20 new models of more discrete dimensions that comprise both Portofino Automatic models (40mm) and a new mid-size models that measure 36mm. The newest addition to the collection is the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic, which measures 43.5mm in diameter.

In fact, this new Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic merges the movement of the Hand-Wound 8-Days (and Hand-Wound Big Date) with the clean and classic looks of the Portofino Automatic, however with a date function and with a different diameter. IWC managed to reduce the size to an easier acceptable 43.5mm, which is more befitting for its classical looks, than the 45mm of both aforementioned Hand-Wound models (which have more going on on the dial).

The new IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic (yes, it’s all in the name) comes in stainless steel and in 18k red gold. and measures as said 43.5mm in diameter and 12mm in height. It comes on a superb alligator leather strap made especially for IWC by Santoni, and is closed by a simple pin buckle, that comes in the same metal as the case.

Beautifully visible through a sapphire crystal pane in the case back, is the manually wound movement, the IWC-manufactured calibre 59060. It packs 192 hours or 8 days of power reserve when fully wound, has 30 jewels that ensure smooth pivoting of the various axis and ticks at a frequency of 28,800 vph.

Both other models with this movement, or more or less the same movement, feature a date and a subsidiary dial with small seconds. The new IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic remains… pure classic. No small second, in fact no second hand at all, and no date function. And while the dial does not show a power reserve indicator, so the dial is “pure classic”, they moved that to the back side of the movement.

This close-up shows that the balance wheel is adjusted by four gold weight screws, which are screwed into the rim of the balance wheel. The spring is a so-called Breguet overcoil, allows the hairspring to “breathe” more evenly and symmetrically, and delivers a better isochronism. The two large bridges, and two small cocks, are all beautifully finished with a Côte de Genève striping (Geneva stripes), and the sides are angled and polished. All together a robust and beautifully hand-wound movement.

Oh, by the way, the stainless steel Portofino Hand-Wound Pure Classic (ref. IW511102) comes at a retail price of € 8.700 Euro, while the 18k red gold version is € 16.800 Euro.