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Kong
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IWC Portofino 2011 Unveiling in Singapore

Last week, IWC South East Asia unveiled the Portofino 2011 debuted during the recent SIHH at a media event, held in one of the three premium cinemas in Singapore, GV Gold Class Vivocity.



Inside the cinema ...



Mr Goris Verburg, General Manager of IWC South East Asia, introduced  various of models of the Portofino 2011 and highlighted some of the key-features.  Following, the press-members were transported back in time with a film, the making of the "Days In Portofino" with famous photographer - Peter Lindbergh for a taste of Italy in 1960s.

Next a touch and feel session of the Portofino pieces.

Below are the snapshots of the Portofino 2011 ...


Starting with the handwound Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days (Ref. 5101) ...


Steel case of diameter 45mm by 12mm thick with water resistance rating of 3 Bar,  housing the new movement Cal 59210 with a power reserve of 192 hours / 8 days.



Simple clean and balance dial layout  with a clear power reserve and date indicator.
Fortunately this is a prototype, the printed digits for the date does not seem to be level.



Small-second at 6H.


Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coatings.  For this silver-plated dial, rose-gold plated indexes and feuille hands are applied.
Roman XII indicating 12H is used, just like the 1988 Portofino  Ref. 2532.


Though at sizeable 45mm, Portofino Hand-Wound 8 Days, wears well on my small wrist.  The flowing horns helped.









A view from the caseback ...


Just feel that the pin buckle is a bit too petite for this masculine piece.  However it is relevant, if the intention is to stay true to the 1960s.



Hope by now, you noticed the orange inner of the beautifully patina leather straps.




To add another dose of Italian dolce vita, the straps are exclusively made by the renowned Italian shoemakers, Santoni, for IWC.  Not surprising as Giuseppe Santoni, the second generation of his family to run the company, has been a fan and collector of IWC watches for many years. 

Santoni applies the same laborious tanning processes that give some of their elegant men’s shoes a slight patina before they even leave the workshop, making brand-new leather look as if it has already been lovingly cared for, over a period of several years.  Understand to achieve the above patina, the colouring operation was repeated nine times!  After that, the orange leather lining is also applied, typical of Santoni products.

The Cal 59210 is a newly designed IWC-manufactured movement, the size of a pocket watch movement at diameter 37.8mm.

A few did not like it as most of the components are covered by the two bridges.

However, the intention of this base movement is important.  It is redesigned for to be more robust and enable more efficient assembly and servicing, to anticipate the potential high demand from China.   Besides, the base calibre  with such a powerful power reserve will also serve as a solid foundation movement for future add-on of more complicated modules.






The large bridges were decorated with "Geneve Stripes".  One of the bridges was engraved with the “Probus Scafusia” insignia, reminding the “Good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen”. The platine was also finished with circular graining.

Spoting a free sprung balance with four adjustable screws and Breguet overcoil, beating at 4Hz  for improved accuracy. Movement is also
adjusted to 5 positions.


To ensure consistent time-keeping, this movement has a gear designed in to stop the movement after precisely 192 hours (8 days) before all the tension in the spring exhausted. 

Not sure if the braking lever near the balance wheel is used for the above feature and the hacking feature.




Next is the Portofino Dual Time Ref 3610 ...

Photographed both the steel and rose gold case.


Watch for the globetrotters with home timekeeping at the  24-hour subdial while the local time being tracked by the main hour and minute hands.

Above is the 45mm steel case and black dial. 


All time adjustments are done with this single signed crown.



18K Rose gold case with black dial. 
Superb clarity with double-antireflective on sapphire which also contributes to the bluish dial colour.


Dial design is balance, but the cut-off Roman numerals are just odd....



The dual time subdial is divided into two zones to represent day and night.  
The darker shaded zone was printed over with a texture ink to strangely representing Day from 6H to 18H.



Open caseback, containing the newly designed automatic Calibre 64710 (Diameter 30mm X 6.15mm height) with bidirectional pawl-winding system, which is manufactured exclusively for IWC by MHVF (Manufacture Horlogère ValFleurier). 
Double barrel achieving 72 hours power reserve and beating at 4 Hz.


This model also adorned a pin buckle and  the (really) nice Santoni straps !



Continuing with the Portofino Chronograph Ref 3910 ...


Steel case at 42mm diameter with black dial housing an automatic movement ..



With silver dial ...












Retro fitted with Milananise bracelet. 

A short note from the press release of IWC for the Milanese bracelet -

".... a Milanese mesh bracelet like the ones so popular in the 1960s. As the name suggests, they were invented in Milan and are thus the perfect complement to watches that exude Italian lifestyle. A Milanese bracelet is robust and made of tightly woven wire mesh, which fits snugly and comfortably around the wrist. At  one time, these bracelets were soldered directly onto the case, but in 2011, the year of the Portofino, the Milanese mesh bracelets as well as the fine leather straps are secured to the watch with spring bars. The Milanese mesh bracelets, incidentally, are available in three different lengths and can be adjusted to the width of the wearer’s wrist in five-millimetre stages, guaranteeing a perfect fit."



A side by side ...



The Milanese bracelet somehow gives the Portofino Chronograph a different character and look nicer than with straps ...



Next another model which also has the Milanese bracelet option - Portofino Automatic Ref 3565 ....


Steel case, diameter is 40mm by 9.5mm height, simple elegant three-hand powered by an automatic movement.






Some close pics of the Milanese mesh bracelet ...






Spring-bars securing the Milanese bracelet to the lugs....







Both the Portofino Chronograph and Automatic are with solid casebacks. 




Among all the pieces, the Hand-wound Portofino 8-Day is attractive, perhaps it reminded me of the L.U.C Quattro.  Absolutely a pleasure to wind it on every Sunday evening with a drink to charge it up for the week ahead.

Which piece attracts you most?


Kong

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