The Schaffhausen Manufacture adds three new references to its growing stable of calendar watches.

IWC has been showing much love to the Portofino recently, from updating the chronograph model with a manufacture movement last year to reintroducing the perpetual calendar complication to the collection. Barely three months after it launched the latter, the Schaffhausen watchmaker is kickstarting 2023 with the Complete Calendar and Automatic Pointer Date under the Portofino banner, boosting its portfolio of calendar timepieces, which also includes annual calendar models.

Looking at the Portofino Complete Calendar, it’s little wonder that IWC chose to introduce its newly developed complete calendar module in this watch. Launched in the mid-1980s, the Portofino, though often underrated, has seen growing interest of late, thanks to its unisex appeal and understated aesthetic that evokes the quintessential Italian dolce vita lifestyle. Its timeless charm is a salve for the tumultuous years past, and its minimalist dial provides the ideal platform for the Manufacture to showcase its technical and timepiece design expertise.

At first blush, the Portofino Complete Calendar could be mistaken for a perpetual or annual calendar, given the range of indications on its silver-plated, well-appointed dial. The sub-dial at 12 o’clock shows the day of the week and the moonphase, while the date and month are displayed at 6 o’clock. However, as a complete calendar complication does not account for leap years and months with less than 31 days, the watch needs to be manually adjusted at the end of those months.

That said, the complete calendar module is ingeniously designed to make light work of the occasional adjustments. Consisting of 69 parts, the module has each display driven by a separate gear train, and they can be adjusted independently of each other via the crown or two correction buttons integrated into the side of the case. When the date is set using the crown, the remaining indicators, including the high-precision moonphase display, will automatically advance by one day around midnight.

Presented in a 41mm 18K 5N gold (S$50,300) or stainless steel case (S$34,800), both fitted with straps made of traceable Swiss calf leather, the Portofino Complete Calendar is driven by the IWC-manufactured Calibre 32150 with a pawl winding system and a power reserve of 72 hours. A see-through sapphire crystal caseback shows off the self-winding movement with its open-worked rotor and components decorated with Côtes de Genève and perlage.

Pared-down but no less desirable, the Automatic Pointer Date (S$7,600) is the first Portofino model to feature a jumping date indication in a sub-dial at 6 o’clock. Sized at a more compact 39mm, it is only available in stainless steel, and it is paired with a brown calfskin strap with a quick-change system. Its self-winding Calibre 35160 movement beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 50 hours.

While the Portofino Complete Calendar will only be available in April 2023, you can already get your hands on the Portofino Automatic Pointer Date from IWC boutiques, authorised retail partners, or online at IWC.com. 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL