Iwc Portofino Adds A New Single-button Chronograph Function Portofino Manual Winding Single-button Chronograph Watch
Schaffhausen, August 2015 – The Portofino family of watches, known for their minimalist design style, adds a new and highly skilled watch-Portofino manual winding One-button chronograph. This is the first ingenious single-button chronograph watch launched by IWC. The slightly convex button on the crown reveals the additional mechanics of this watch and makes it easier to operate. Available in white and red gold, the watch perfectly reflects the essence of luxury and restraint in the Portofino watch series.
With the birth of this new complex timepiece, IWC added another chronograph with its own movement to its popular Portofino watch collection. Following the elegant tradition of the Portofino watch family, this new member also exhibits a unique elegance and charming technical subtlety: the most common chronograph watches are currently at ‘2 o’clock’ and ‘4 o’clock There is a button at the ‘clock’, which is also the most classic form of chronograph watch. The Portofino manual winding single-button chronograph watch (models IW515103 / IW515104) stands out with its unique one-button chronograph mechanism and is capable of timing for up to 60 minutes. The timekeeping button is placed in the crown and is almost imperceptible at first glance. The start, stop and reset of the timer function can be easily achieved by repeatedly pressing this multi-function button. Pressing the button a third time resets all timing displays to zero. This simple switching mechanism also highlights the aesthetic considerations of watch design, revealing the elegance of the watch. Although the additional function of chronograph has been added, the Portofino manual winding single-button chronograph still retains a simple style, and its various functions are only revealed when you watch the game carefully. Simplicity and low profile are the tradition of the Portofino watch family, and the soul of the Portofino watch’s restrained design and classic style since its birth. Mr. GEORGES KERN, CEO of IWC, commented: ‘This watch maintains the perfect balance of function, design and ease of use. Traditional manual watchmaking technology and modern engineering are seamlessly combined. It’s the birth of this new model of fine watchmaking that we can be proud of. ‘
Precision and complex internal mechanical structure
The newly developed movement of the Portofino manual-winding single-button chronograph watch is a valuable research and development result for both the IWC’s own movement series and the Portofino series. . The 59360 movement inherits the powerful characteristics of the 59000 movement series, and the mechanical timing device placed therein highlights the outstanding charm. The wearer can enjoy the power reserve of 192 hours. After the watch is fully chained, it can ensure the accurate movement of the whole 8 days until it stops automatically. You can check the remaining power of the watch at any time through the power reserve display on the dial between the ‘8 o’clock’ and ‘9 o’clock’ positions. The small dial at 12 o’clock shows the minutes measured by the chronograph function, while the central hand indicates the seconds. The dial has a small seconds at ‘6 o’clock’ and a date display at ‘3 o’clock’. The overall layout is decent and pleasing. The case back also gives you a panoramic view of the movement: through the sapphire glass case back, the IWC-manufactured movement decorated with Geneva stripes and the mechanical timing device in operation are clearly visible. The Portofino manual winding single-button chronograph is available in two models: a white gold case with a rock grey dial and a grey SANTONI alligator leather strap, or an 18K red gold case with a silver plated dial and brown SANTONI alligator leather Strap.
Exclusive leather for luxury watches
For more than three decades since its birth, the Portofino watch family has always played a pivotal role in the IWC watch series. In order to highlight the unique Italian living style, IWC joined forces with shoe manufacturer SANTONI in 2011. This well-known Italian family business is an outstanding representative of ‘elegance and luxury and top quality’, which is exactly the same as the value concept of IWC. Today, SANTONI crafts leather straps exclusively for IWC. In the complicated processing procedures, each of the carefully manufactured SANTONI straps is given a unique quaint appearance at the factory, and the colors and gloss are also unique. This process makes leather seem like it has been carefully used for many years, but it is actually made entirely new. Another signature feature of SANTONI is the orange leather lining on the inside of the strap. The beauty and glamour of the Mediterranean living atmosphere are blended into the perfect handcraft of watch and strap.