IWC Portofino Automatic

The most important features of any dress watch are a clean design, flat case, and the ability to easily slide under a shirtsleeve. The Portofino Automatic from IWC Schaffhausen ticks every box. Its round case is 37 or 40 mm in diameter and comes in stainless steel, white gold, or rose gold. Many watches are less than 10 mm thick . Delicate feuille (leaf-shaped) hands team up with narrow indices and Roman numerals at 6 and 12 o'clock to show the time. Most models also feature an inconspicuous date display at 3 o'clock. Thanks to their classically elegant looks, Portofino Automatic watches are the perfect choice for at the office or an evening out on the town.

The International Watch Company (IWC) uses diamonds to mark the hours on several women's watches. Some even boast more than 60 diamonds on their bezel and a moon phase display below 12 o'clock. These 37-mm luxury watches are available in stainless steel or 18-karat rose gold. You can choose between a gold bracelet or a stunning alligator leather strap. The Italian luxury brand Santoni produces these straps exclusively for IWC.

The IWC Portofino Automatic collection's unisex watches are 40 mm in diameter and 9.3 mm thick. Their cases come in stainless steel or 18-karat rose gold and are water resistant to 30 m (3 bar, 98 ft). This means you can keep your timepiece on while washing your hands without having to worry. The case back of the gold edition features a fine engraving of Portofino's harbor, while that of the stainless steel version has a simple, satin-brushed finish.

On the front, you'll find silver or gold-colored feuille hands on a silver-plated, black, or slate gray dial. A small date display at 3 o'clock fits in seamlessly with the rest of the design. Domed, scratch-resistant sapphire glass protects the dial and has an anti-reflective coating on both sides.

IWC equips these timepieces with the automatic caliber 35111 based on the Sellita SW300-1. This movement offers a 42-hour power reserve, is made up of 163 components, and ticks at 28,800 alternations per hour (A/h), or 4 Hz. IWC refines each movement with a perlage finish and Geneva stripes.

A mint-condition Portofino Automatic ref. IW356501 on an alligator leather strap costs around 3,800 USD. You can find pre-owned models for as little as 3,000 USD, making the stainless steel Portofino the most affordable IWC timepiece. The version with a braided stainless steel Milanese bracelet sells for about 4,600 USD new and 3,600 USD pre-owned. If you prefer the gold version, be sure to have a solid 9,200 USD on hand for a never-worn timepiece and 7,300 USD for a used watch.

The Portofino Automatic 37 is this collection's women's model. While its 37-mm case would have been a typical men's watch some years ago, today it's on the small end of the unisex spectrum. Diamond hour indices underscore the Portofino Automatic 37's feminine charm. Its stainless steel or rose gold case is only 9.2 mm thick, and its dial comes in silver, blue, or slate gray. IWC refers to this shade of gray as "ardoise." The caliber 35111 ticks away inside this timepiece. The stainless steel model costs around 4,500 USD in mint condition and about 3,700 USD pre-owned. The rose gold edition with the reference number IW458116 goes for just under 10,500 USD new. Pre-owned pieces cost slightly less.

IWC's Portofino collection also contains plenty of !{keyword-diamond watch,diamond-studded watches!{keyword-diamond watch, for a more luxurious look. The Portofino Automatic 37 is also available with over 66 diamonds on its bezel. The stainless steel version with a blue dial and matching blue alligator leather strap is especially fashion-forward and demands around 8,600 USD new. You can purchase a pre-owned model for some 6,700 USD. If you're looking to call the rose gold version your own, be prepared to spend about 15,000 USD for a new timepiece or 12,000 USD for a pre-owned model.

The Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37 is the women's collection's top model. The caliber 35800, based on the Sellita SW300-1, provides this timepiece with a moon phase display instead of a date window. An integrated push-piece at 2 o'clock allows you to set the moon phase display. Plan to spend around 10,500 USD for a new stainless steel watch. The rose gold edition on a Milanese bracelet is the most expensive and demands almost 29,500 USD in mint condition. The same watch on an alligator leather Santoni strap costs some 11,000 USD less.

The chronograph function is one of the most popular complications. If you'd like a mechanical dress watch with this practical feature, look no further than the IWC Portofino Chronograph. The caliber 75320 powers this timepiece. This movement is a modified Valjoux 7750, one of the most widespread automatic chronograph movements of all time, and comes with a 44-hour power reserve. It ticks at a frequency of 28,800 A/h, meaning it can even measure fractions of a second. On the dial, you'll find a 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock, a small seconds at 9, a 12-hour counter at 6, and a day-date display at 3.

The Portofino Chronograph is 42 mm in diameter and 13.6 mm thick. While that's much thicker than the Portofino Automatic, it's still significantly flatter than most sports chronographs. A black, ardoise, or silver dial sits inside the stainless steel or rose gold case. The stainless steel model sells for between 3,900 and 4,800 USD, while prices for the rose gold edition range from 9,100 to 13,000 USD.