IWC has recently revealed a nice addition to its splendid IWC Portofino Big Date replica range of oversized timekeepers. Always conservative in its approach, extremely reluctant when it comes to evolving its design language.
Still, even despite its overwhelming visual similarity to the model 5101, this is definitely not a ‘clone’ of the older model that was simply refreshed here and there.
Since modification was not a major one, the mechanism is still built on the same 30 jewels, beats at a pretty much standard frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour and offers a very impressive power reserve of 192 hours (whole eight days!)
The first of all, the watch is equipped with a different movement. Belonging to the same 59000 family, the new Caliber 59230 with its oversized bridges and finely executed vertical Geneva Stripes still looks like it was designed to be inserted in a much larger pocket watch.
Also, the body of the rose gold IWC Portofino copy watch, which is currently available in 18-carat rose and white gold, is, too, slightly larger than that of the 2011 model sporting impressive 45 millimeters in diameter. Although the size of this thing will probably make it unsuitable to a great deal of enthusiasts, it still really nicely reiterates the Portofino‘s reliance with pocket watches of the past (the legend says that the first watch in their legendary Portuguese family was actually a real pocket timekeeper that was modified by IWC to be worn on a wrist, not inside a pocket.)
The Swiss watchmaker again brings us a watch that features all the elements that we loved so much in their 2011 IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days Caliber 59210 (Ref. 5101) model with only one change: the new IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Big Date Boutique Edition (Refs. IW516102 / IW516101) has the simple calendar display replaced with a lot more appealing Big Date indicator.
As usual, the Portofino Big Date features a very clean, easily readable dial with only five indicators: hours and minutes (represented by a pair of leaf-shaped hands plated either in gold or in rhodium available with rose gold and white gold versions respectively), a small seconds indicator at 6 hours, a power reserve display between 8 and 9 o’clock, and, of course, the aforementioned Big Date display at 12 hours. By the way, although the dial looks great, I am not really sure about the combination of Roman “XII” hour marker with Arabic date display. Not that it is a design mistake, they just don’t match as seamlessly as you would expect from a watch of this pedigree.
IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Big Date Boutique Edition watch specification
Price: $22,000 (MSRP)
Movement: Manual, IWC in-house caliber 59230, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 30
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 192 hours (8 days)
Movement decoration: Vertical Geneva Stripes
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, big date, power reserve indicator
Case material: 18-carat gold (white or rose)
Bezel material: Matches case
Crown material: Matches case
Case shape: Round
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 45.00 mm
Case height: 13.00 mm
Lug width: No data
Dial: Silver-plated / Slate-plated
Numerals: Roman
Hour markers: Gold-plated / Rhodium-plated
Hands: Leaf-shaped
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Black or brown Santoni alligator leather strap with pin buckle in 18-carat gold (matching case)
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Case back: Sapphire
With a street price of approximately $22,000 (it will depend on your local taxes and other factors when the watch finally hits a store near you,) this is surely an expensive little gadget. However, I dare say that this Portofino Big Date doesn’t seem to be priced above the market with its massive gold case and a refined movement.
It is reported that the watch will be available only through IWC watch replica’s own chain of boutiques, which is a pity, since there are not so many of them in smaller countries, especially in Eastern Europe and Far East.
