Now the brand has revived one of the classics from the line with the IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar Replica. At 40 mm in diameter, it’s the most compact of IWC’s perpetual calendars and is equipped with an in-house movement from the 82000 family.
The perpetual calendar is a sought-after complication for its utility but also its aesthetics, especially when it includes a moon phase, which adds a touch of romanticism to the design. IWC’s latest take on the complication is straightforward, practical, and priced reasonably enough. In fact, it’s essentially a visually-simplified version of the Best IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Replica, which uses the same movement but inside a larger case.
While not revolutionary in technical terms, the Portofino Perpetual Calendar is a solid performer with a concise design. It retains all the features that made the 1990s original appealing but adds a few contemporary touches in both design and the in-house base movement.
The legible and neat dial has a restrained elegance, resulting in an orderly, legible appearance. Consumers of this particular complication often ask the same question: can the calendar be easily read, preferably within five seconds? The answer in this case is yes, although the calendar markings are small, though that is typical of a calendar that relies on sub-dials.
And the concise design also extends to the details like the sans serif typography used for calendar and numerals and the removal of the four-digit year indicator that was long standard for IWC Replica Watches Review.Echoing the original in both simplicity and size, the new Portofino Perpetual Calendar is 40 mm in diameter, while the case height is 12.7 mm, including a domed crystal.
That’s slightly tall but a consequence of the relatively thick base movement, which is the in-house cal. 82650. And like most iwc replica watches reviews, it is available in steel or 18k pink gold.The case takes its cues from the 1990s original, so it’s all rounded and mirror polished. It is uncomplicated in both form and finish, which also means it’s missing some of the finishing details that its Portugieser cousin has.
The dial is a fuss-free silvered affair that does away with anything superfluous in its design, giving it a clean aesthetic. Its hands and baton indices corresponding to the case metal for a clean look that’s almost monochromatic but livened up by the blued hands and moon phase.At the same time, the numerals for the five-minute markers gives it a functional appearance, though the leaf-shaped hands bring a classical, retro feel.
Each of the calendar indications is in conventional sub-dials with pointers. And replacing the four-digit year display is a leap year indicator in the form of a small aperture within the day-of-the-week register.
At six o’clock is the moon phase display that will have the moon and stars either rhodium or gold-plated, depending on the iwc replica swiss movement watches case material. Unlike most moon phase displays that are accurate to a day in 122.5 years, this is driven by a “precisely calculated reductionist gear train” that results in a one-day deviation after 577.5 years.
Like most contemporary IWCs, the case shows off the movement through the sapphire back. The ETA-based calibre in the 1990s original has been swapped for IWC’s proprietary cal. 82650, first introduced in the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 in 2020.
Part of the 82000 family of movements, the Cheap IWC Replica cal. 82650 is one of the brand’s smallest in-house calibres, but nonetheless retains the brand’s signature Pellaton winding system and a respectable 60 hours of power reserve. Notably, the pawls and wheel of the Pellaton system are made of black ceramic, rendering them wear resistant.
