Introduction to the IWC Schaffhausen Portofino Watch Collection
Since its unveiling in 1984, the IWC Portofino has captured collectors’ hearts. Inspired by the Lepine pocket watches of yesteryear and turning to the wonderful Italian coastal city for its name, the Portofino is one of the brand’s more successful collections. It appeals to both men and women with its clean lines and chic look.
History of the IWC Portofino Watch
The first Portofino watch design was inspired by Lepine pocket watches with clean dials, a simple subsidiary seconds dial and hand-wound movements. The concept for it took hold in the late 1970s. The brand had slowed production of its Portugieser line (also initially inspired by pocket watches) and started considering a pocket-watch-style wristwatch with a different story. For the name of the soon-to-come new collection, IWC looked to the coastal town of Portofino. This city is right in the heart of the Italian Riviera and serves as a resort for the rich and famous. Its winding streets, pastel-colored homes and bustling cafés along the harbor struck a chord with the brand and had an identity akin to the luxury watch.
The first Portofino wristwatch made its grand appearance in 1984 and featured a white dial with a clean face, slim hands and traditional Roman numerals. The subsidiary seconds dial at 9 o’clock was harmoniously balanced with an aperture at 3 o’clock that showcased the moonphase indication. The hand-wound watch featured the words “International Watch Co., Schaffhausen” in script at 12 o’clock. Crafted in 18-karat gold, Reference 5251 became the star model for all future IWC Portofino watches.
Just four years after creating the hand-wound version, IWC unveiled the first Portofino Chronograph Quartz in 1988. The dial featured three subsidiary dials, a minute track and a rotating date display on the outer track. It was powered by a hybrid movement, Caliber 631, which was a quartz movement with a mechanical chronograph added on. The caliber, with two motors and 233 components, was originally developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre. IWC opted to use it for a few years in the women’s and men’s Portofino chronographs.
The brand returned to using mechanical movements again in 1993 and released the Portofino Hand Wound. This watch was small and delicate and powered by the thin 1.85mm thick movement IWC Caliber H/849. This model remained in the IWC Portofino Hand Wound lineup for more than 10 years.
The first IWC Portofino Automatic made its debut in 2003. That watch, Reference 3533, had a slightly larger case at 38mm. Its larger size and super-clean dial (white with stick markers and date at 3 o’clock) attracted a new audience that was looking for a slightly bigger watch and a self-winding caliber.
Modern-Day Variations of the IWC Portofino
Throughout the 15 years of the 21st century, Portofino enjoyed a host of new iterations and evolutions. In 2011, IWC unveiled the Portofino Hand Wound Eight Days watch, powered by the IWC in-house-made Caliber 5921 and offering, as its name suggests, eight days of power reserve. The 18-karat rose gold watch had striking appeal with a charcoal gray dial that boasted date aperture, a subsidiary seconds dial and an arched power-reserve indicator all beautifully placed. It quickly became the flagship for the collection.
Subsequent models were produced, such as the Portofino Hand Wound Moon Phase in 2017. This was the first time IWC incorporated a moonphase indicator with eight-days power reserve in a hand-wound movement. Another hit made its debut in 2019 — the smaller IWC Portofino Automatic 34.
Fun Facts About the IWC Portofino
IWC unveiled three limited-edition Portofino Jubilee collection watches in 2018 to celebrate the brand’s 150th anniversary. The 150 Years editions all feature “150 Years” engraved on the case back.
The brand was quick to promote the Portofino watch and even brought a host of its celebrity “friends of the brand” to Portofino for dramatic photo shoots. Celebrities included Cate Blanchett and Ewan McGregor, and the campaign was shot by Peter Lindbergh. The photos were made into traveling exhibits in 2014.
New, Pre-owned and Used IWC Portofino Watches
The IWC Portofino watch is worth investing in. Despite being a relatively young line, it has always been in favor with the collectors. This is most likely because of its Lepine inspiration and IWC’s willingness to endow the Portofino with top-notch mechanical movements and complications.
For the collector looking to buy a new Portofino, the Automatic watch is a great buy. It starts at just $4,700 in steel and goes up to just over $12,000 in gold. IWC Portofino chronographs start slightly higher at $5,800 in steel, and the beloved IWC Portofino Eight Days Power Reserve watch starts at just under $10,000. Naturally, the higher complications, like the tourbillon, retail for much more than $58,000, but most people buying a Portofino are looking for the automatics and the chronographs.
Secondhand IWC Portofino watches can be had for better prices. Depending on the year and condition of the IWC Portofino, you can find a chronograph 42mm for less than $5,000. Even better deals can be found for the IWC Portofino Automatic. On most secondhand markets, your investment can be as low as $1,200. While there is good inventory on the resale market for IWC Portofino watches, the more recent models manage to still hold their value. Most seem to depreciate by just the normal $1,000 or $2,000 marks. Even a rose gold IWC Portofino Eight Days watch online is not too far below the retail price of a new one — but far enough to make newbie collectors think buying used is the way to go.
No matter if you are buying new or used Portofino watches, you can’t go wrong with this classic yet contemporary look from a great watch brand.