IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days 5101-02: Schaffhausen Goes Italian (VIDEO)
The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days 5101-02 is a love letter to the Schaffhausen watchmaker’s hardcore fans. Released in 2011 as an homage to the epic 1981-1997 IWC Portofino 5251 (the immortal “Fried Egg”), the Portofino Hand-Wound is a stunning rebuttal to those who insist IWC has not mastered dress watches.
At 45mm in polished stainless steel, the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days absolutely jumps from the wrist when viewed in direct light. The combination of a gloss black dial with brilliant polished case is only the Portofino‘s initial hook; outstanding proportions complete the arresting effect.
Consider the ratio of dial to bezel; the vast black disc appears to be ringed by a delicate halo of gleaming silver. Not only does this set the IWC Portofino apart from its (smaller) IWC Portuguese stablemates, but the judicious division of bezel and dial creates the impression that the Portofino is *FAR* larger than its substantial 45mm diameter. When watch writers wax about “wrist presence,” they may as well retire the expression in favor of a new superlative: “IWC Portofino.”
Seriously, this watch has STANCE. With spare lugs that melt away into the flow of the Santoni alligator leather strap, the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days reads as a bold-faced medallion for the wrist.
Within the gloss black dial, IWC maintains the decorum and Teutonic restraint for which the great Portofino 5251 became renowned among collectors. Applied diamond-polished indices and matching feuille hands provide contrast and upscale refinement without crowding the dial. A power reserve gauge traces its eight-day arc, and a small seconds sub-dial anchors the arrangement at six o’clock. At three o’clock, an unobtrusive date window with matching black disc acts as a subtle surrogate for the hour index; the date blends into the dial until a user specifically seeks it.
Within the cavernous Portofino case, IWC provides its in-house caliber 59210 hand-wound caliber. Based on the 50000-series automatic movements, the 59210 offers an extra day of autonomy between windings. Precision is ensured thanks to a tandem of a Breguet hairspring and a free-sprung escapement; both features help to resist shock-induced timing deviations. With 35 jewels for efficient operation and a refined finish for the owner’s viewing pleasure, the IWC caliber 59210 is a mechanical and artistic piece de resistance.
See this outstanding IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days 5101-02 in high-resolution images with all original IWC factory boxes, user’s manuals, and documentation on our website, www.the1916company.com.
Video and content by Tim Mosso