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FOREVER CLASSIC - PORTOFINO
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Learn about the history behind IWC Schaffhausen’s Portofino watches
“Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
IWC’s Portofino line turns simplicity into sophistication. Achieving “less is more” may sound easy, but true elegance demands precision and restraint. From 19th century pocket watches with clean dials and straight hands to IWC’s early enamel creations, minimalism has always been timeless. The modern Portofino collection builds on this heritage, adding a subtle sense of character and refinement.
This article explores the history behind IWC’s Portofino watches.
POCKET WATCH FOR THE WRIST
The origins of IWC’s Portofino can be traced to the 1940s and 1950s. During this era, IWC’s wristwatches, powered by the legendary Caliber 89, combined mechanical precision with understated design. These three-hand timepieces, with their clean, round dials, exemplified clarity and elegance, leaving no detail to excess.
In the 1970s, IWC revisited the simplicity of pocket watches, creating a model with thin Roman numerals, Breguet-style hands, and a moon phase display. Its timeless design served as the inspiration for what would become the Portofino.
By the early 1980s, a meeting in a local Schaffhausen tavern changed everything. Hanno Burtscher, IWC’s design head, and watchmaker Kurt Klaus reimagined a classic pocket watch, the Reference 5250, as a minimalist wristwatch with a moon phase display. A quick napkin sketch transformed it into the Reference 5251, which would later be known as the Portofino. Released in 1984, the 5251 – nicknamed the “Giant Portofino” – broke with convention by being oversized at a time when quartz watches dominated. Produced in limited quantities, its bold size made it a rare and distinctive piece.
A NEW BEGINNING
In the mid-1980s, IWC was at a crossroads. The “quartz crisis” of the 1970s had decimated the mechanical watch industry, but signs of revival emerged. Günter Blümlein brought a fresh perspective to IWC, driving innovations like Kurt Klaus’ perpetual calendar and the Porsche Design sports watch to attract a younger audience. He also envisioned a classic line that blended traditional Swiss watchmaking with modern sensibility.
The Giant Portofino became the foundation for this new direction. IWC expanded the collection, introducing smaller, more traditional models that retained the Portofino’s signature design – round cases, straight lugs, and simple dials with classic indices and hands. These watches defined IWC’s return to elegance.
[The Portofino’s] timeless allure matched the design of IWC’s new watches, which could just as easily have been made in the 1950s as in the 1980s. Great design never ages
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The Portofino name was a perfect fit, inspired by the timeless charm of the Italian Riviera town. In the 1950s, Portofino was a favorite haunt of the rich and famous, embodying “la dolce vita.” Its timeless allure matched the design of IWC’s new watches, which could just as easily have been made in the 1950s as in the 1980s. Great design never ages.
Throughout the late 1980s, IWC showcased several Portofino models. The standout was Reference 3513, a 34mm automatic with a date function. There was also Reference 3331, a quartz version. By 1990, IWC introduced Reference 3514, a simpler design with no date.
In 1988, the Portofino Chronograph Reference 3731 debuted with a 35mm case, followed by an ultra-thin 32mm model in 1993 and a perpetual calendar version. The collection also welcomed several women’s models, including References 6751, 9251, 4531, and the diamond-studded Reference 8441. Men’s models were equally diverse, offering over 20 dial options, including a military-style black dial with white Arabic numerals.
What united all these watches was a shared classicism and simplicity – a “family resemblance,” as Wittgenstein might put it
“FAMILY RESEMBLANCE”
What united all these watches was a shared classicism and simplicity – a “family resemblance,” as Wittgenstein might put it. There’s no single defining feature, but a series of overlapping similarities.
The Portofino family has been a bestseller for IWC, subtly enduring while evolving without losing its essence. The popular Reference 3513, for example, grew into the 38mm Reference 3533 in the mid-2000s, and later became the 40 mm Reference 3565. The Portofino chronograph followed a similar path, with the 41mm Reference 3783 evolving into the 42mm Reference 3910. As consumer tastes shifted toward larger sizes, IWC also introduced a “mid-size” 34mm model, the Reference 3564, to maintain the balance between tradition and modern demand.
Like an artist’s sprint with a single line, the Portofino has run its timeless race
EVOLVING LEGACY
The rare Giant Portofino remains the heart of the collection. For IWC’s 140th anniversary in 2008, they introduced a vintage-inspired 46mm Portofino, Reference 5448, with a moon phase display. This set the stage for today’s 45mm “8 day” models, Reference 5101 and Reference 5161 with a larger date.
Though the Portofino has grown in size over the years, its soul – the same classic, pure design – remains unchanged. With more variations than any other IWC family, the Portofino proves that timeless design can evolve to meet contemporary tastes. A perfect design never ages; it endures.
Like an artist’s sprint with a single line, the Portofino has run its timeless race.
