IWC Portofino Vintage 1984 Men’s Watch

IWC Portofino Vintage 1984

IWC Portofino Vintage 1984

This post is special in that it’s designed to annoy someone I know.  This individual has good taste for the most part but absolutely hates moon phases, especially on men’s watches.  So I thought I would write something just for him.

The IWC Portofino Vintage 1984 was released recently, and I just can’t enough of it.  At 46mm it’s a bit of a monster, but this monster possesses elegant looks and more class than you can shake a stick at.  Throw in a hand-wound movement (46-hour power reserve) and a moon phase at twelve o’clock, and you have the makings of a instant classic.  Of course part of the reason it’s an instant classic is because it’s based on the Portofino of old, a classic in its own right.  Nevertheless the newer version adds something modern without taking away from the original foundation laid by previous models…the available color schemes, the case materials, the movement and the band all play the role of vintage while also appealing to the tastes of today’s watch buyer (except for those who hate moon phases).

IWC also released several other “Vintage” models along with the Portofino including the Da Vinci, Aquatimer, Ingenieur, Portuguese and Pilot.  Take a look, but I think you’ll find I’m right when I say that the Portofino is by far the most successful of these re-releases.  At $12,500 for the steel version, the IWC Portofino Vintage 1984 is definitely a steal if you ask me.