Emmanuel, known as quattro on WatchProSite, shares his candid impressions from a visit to the IWC Boutique in Florence. His detailed account and accompanying wrist shots offer a valuable perspective on several contemporary IWC references, highlighting crucial aspects like wearability, aesthetic appeal, and movement finishing. This report serves as an essential guide for collectors considering modern IWC timepieces, particularly those with smaller wrists.
My last watch-related visit in Florence was to the IWC Boutique.
I first tried on the titanium Ingenieur Automatic 40 (ref. IW328904) and was disappointed: I didn't respond to the look of the metal nor to the blackened hands and indexes.
And the fit on the wrist was ok, but not great because the case is very flat and leaves a little gap at the point where the bracelet wraps the wrist.
I preferred the stainless steel Aqua dial variant (ref. IW328903): the color really deserves to be seen in real life (much better than on photos) and the whole piece felt much more pleasing to my eyes, even if the fit is, of course, identical.
Then, I tried on the rose gold/black dial Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 (ref. IW503702). This timepiece is so large and thick (44.4 x 15 mm with a lug width of 22 mm) that it is clearly not for my type of wrist.
And, even if the dial looks quite nice, especially in this black variant, I find the
automatic calibre 52616 aesthetically
unimpressive and the
single fold clasp not very attractive.
Then, I asked to see a manual-winding model and I was shown the stainless steel Portofino Hand-Wound Moon Phase (ref. IW516401).
Again, the large dimensions (45 x 13.1 mm) were just not for me and I find it hard to understand why such dimensions were chosen for this kind of dress watch.
I forgot to take a photo of the calibre 59800, simply because I didn't respond to its aesthetic, but here's one by Horobox:
credit: Horobox
Finally, I tried on the rose gold Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night (ref. IW545901).
As it is a
little more reasonably sized (42.4 x 10.8 mm), I liked it a little better.
But I have mixed feelings about the
3D day & night indicator (do I really like this "antidopean display", as they call it ?) and I don't find the
cage of the
flying tourbillon very appealing.
As for the aesthetic of the
manual-winding calibre 81925, with circular stripes, I personally don't respond to it.
In conclusion, I left the boutique with the very clear feeling that these modern IWC watches, however beautiful and appealing they may be to others, are simply not for me.
Thanks for me.
Best, Emmanuel
