Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 in Gold
A petite 34mm Portofino with a charming day & night indicator.
For many fans of IWC, the first collections that spring to mind are the brand’s emblematic Pilot watches, the iconic Portugieser and the Ingenieur. However, there is another collection at IWC with a more classical, understated and timeless character named after the Italian seaside village of Portofino. Appealing to men and women alike, the latest Portofino is an elegant dress watch in a compact 34mm rose gold case with a day & night indicator.
It’s interesting to review the Portofino’s timeline as a barometer of watch industry trends since its introduction in 1984. Many early Portofino models with hand-wound movements came in large 45mm and 42mm cases, followed by more compact 40mm, 39mm, 37mm, and even 34mm models with both hand-wound and automatic movements, catering to virtually every wrist size imaginable. From straightforward time-only references to pointer dates, moon phases, chronographs and complete and perpetual calendars, the Portofino’s sober yet refined spirit manifests itself across all the models.
The latest Portofino is a delightful 34mm rose gold dress watch in a traditional round case with a slim height of 8.9mm. While its diameter is agreeably compact, the watch has wrist presence thanks to its curved and rounded bezel, case middle, and caseback.
The silver-plated dial is hallmark Portofino with an applied gold-plated Roman numeral at XII, applied baton markers and leaf-shaped hands. Discreetly adding a dash of light are the twelve brilliant-cut diamonds on the dotted peripheral minutes track set in such a way as to reflect more light and increase their visual impact. Framed in gold, the day and night indicator at 6 o’clock is decorated with a large sun with golden rays and a crescent-shaped moon surrounded by different-sized stars.
Performing a full rotation every 24 hours, the sun or moon appears in the upper section of the display to indicate day or night. The watch is powered by the automatic calibre 35180 (Sellita SW300-1 base) beating at 4Hz and delivering a 50-hour power reserve for the hours, minutes, seconds (hacking) and a day and night indicator.
The Portofino Automatic Day & Night is paired with a 16mm taupe calfskin strap with an integrated quick-change system and a gold butterfly folding clasp. It retails for EUR 17,500. More information at iwc.com.
3 responses
Almost made my grail list with its understated elegance. Got turned off by the diamonds. I’m surprised that IWC just had to take that extra step and go ‘nouveau riche.’ But, that’s just me . . . function, form and quietly elegant, without any flash.
Too small and too expensive.
The reason Rolex watches at 34mm look bigger than they are is that the strap size is 18mm.
The amount of gold,even at today’s prices doesn’t justify the price.
They should bring back Vermeil for this type of watch with a rather basic movement with no certificate of accuracy.
17.500 Euro for a watch with a Sellita movement, even if it’s in precious metal!? For that price I would opt for one of the usual suspects with inhouse movements, or, even better, the new Glashütte Original Lady Serenade Luna with the stunning calibre 35