Lot 152

IWC / Intern. Watch Co.

Portofino

An oversized wristwatch of Portugieser size with moon phase - with guarantee card and booklets

Sold

The 'mother' of all Portofinos, a collector’s item with a pocket watch 9521 movement, is affectionately referred to by watchmakers at IWC as a "pocket wristwatch". One of watchmaking’s most notable achievements, it is a successful combination of discreet classicism and daring extravagance. A truly great – in every sense of the word – role model for the Portofino watch line".
This watch, first made and sold in 1981 was the eventual inspiration for what we know as the Portofino line of IWC watches, introduced in 1987. At 46 mm in diameter, and 51 mm lug-to-lug, this watch is as thin at 6 mm as it is large in circumference. The movement in this watch began life in 1927 as the cal. 95 changing to the 952 with the addition of shock protection, and is now 9521 - specially designated for the gilded adornment and moonphase complication particular to this model. All of these movements were 17''' ligne, and remarkable for their less than 4 mm thickness. The cal. 9521 remains a full-bridge design (2 bridges and 4 cocks, actually) and is comprised of 161 different components, including the hand-formed Breguet balance spring and 19 jewels, many of which are set in gold chatons. IWC characterizes this arrangement of parts as providing "such astonishing harmony and precision that it easily surpasses the standars set by the Swiss chronometer testing institute". Add to that bit of modest advertising the fact that the movement is gilded, and you have one of the most beautiful movements ever produced by this venerable Swiss watch company. Think we will eventually learn from IWC that the production of this watch was very limited. If they made 10 per year while in production, that would be a total of 170 pieces. As hard as they are to find, that might not be too far from the actual number.