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IWC Schaffhausen Portofino 37mm Automatic Ladies Watch
Ref. IW458109
The Portofino collection takes its name and its temperament from the Ligurian fishing village — unhurried, dressed with care, uninterested in function for its own sake. This ref. IW458109 sits at the dressed end of that brief: a diamond-set bezel of 66 brilliant cuts encircling a sunburst silver dial, paired with a hand-stitched red alligator strap made by Santoni in Italy. The combination is deliberate and a little bold, the strap doing work that a conventional steel bracelet would not. At 37mm and 9.2mm deep, the case is slim enough to disappear beneath a cuff and balanced well on a narrower wrist. The Calibre 35111 beneath is built on a Sellita SW300-1 base — a sound, well-proven architecture — running at 4Hz with a 50-hour reserve, which means a weekend off the wrist causes no disruption come Monday morning. The Santoni strap is the detail that rewards closer attention: the hand-stitching and the particular depth of the red are visible at the wrist in a way that photographs do not quite capture.
- Reference
- IW458109
- Brand
- IWC Schaffhausen
- Collection
- Portofino
- Case size
- 37mm
- Case thickness
- 9.2mm
- Lug width
- 18mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 35111
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Red
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about IWC Schaffhausen
IWC is a Swiss company founded by an American. Florentine Ariosto Jones, a Boston watchmaker, arrived in Switzerland in 1868 intending to combine American industrial machinery with Swiss hand skill. He found the western cantons uninterested and settled instead in Schaffhausen, in the German-speaking north, where the Rhine could drive his machinery. The location remains unusual: IWC is essentially the only significant manufacture in the region.
The house built its reputation on robust, legible watches with an engineering bias rather than decorative complication. The Portugieser began in 1939 as a wristwatch large enough to house a pocket-watch calibre, ordered by two Portuguese merchants who wanted marine-chronometer accuracy on the wrist; its proportions look contemporary to this day.
The Mark 11, supplied to the RAF from 1948, set the standard for military navigation watches with its soft-iron anti-magnetic cage. The pilot's line still descends from it. The Ingenieur of 1955 pushed anti-magnetism further, and Gérald Genta's 1976 SL redesign gave it the integrated-bracelet form revived in recent years.
IWC's more idiosyncratic contributions include the Da Vinci perpetual calendar of 1985, designed by Kurt Klaus to be adjusted entirely through the crown, and the Aquatimer and Portofino families. Richemont acquired the company in 2000.
- 1868
- Florentine Ariosto Jones founds IWC in Schaffhausen.
- 1939
- The Portugieser debuts with a pocket-watch calibre.
- 1948
- The Mark 11 enters RAF service.
- 1955
- The anti-magnetic Ingenieur launches.
- 1985
- Kurt Klaus's Da Vinci perpetual calendar is released.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,847), Stainless Steel Watches (3,197), Automatic Watches (1,736), Women's Watches (1,622), Leather Strap Watches (1,049) and Silver Dial Watches (718).
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 37mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Price history
This watch is currently at its lowest recorded price. It reached £8,850 on 3 September. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
IWC Schaffhausen Portofino alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification |  IW458109 | 278559-3011 | 16.3200.670/01.C831 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,640 | £7,410 | £7,000 |
| Case size | 37mm | 36mm | 36mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 42 hours | 50 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
18mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's, though at 37mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
All 3 UK retailers we track list it at £6,640.
Has the price changed recently?
It's currently at its lowest recorded price since we began tracking it. It's ranged between £6,640 and £8,850, today it's £6,640.
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