THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: IWC
MODEL: IW351315
YEAR: 1997
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 34MM
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

It’s no secret that we love IWCs here at Fathom. While the modern brand has leaned toward oversized designs and luxury-focused positioning, you don’t have to look far back in the catalogue to find true gems—watches that embody simplicity, robustness, quality, and timeless class.

The Portofino line traces its roots back to the legendary Kurt Klaus. It was born in the early 1980s with reference 5251, a striking 46 mm hand-wound moonphase dress watch powered by a movement adapted from a Lépine pocket watch. From there, the Portofino family expanded into a series of elegant dress watches, each crafted with particular attention to detail.

The present watch, reference IW351315, dates to 1997 and features a refined 34 mm case with a matte black dial. The tritium lume on the markers and hands has aged to a rich pumpkin tone, providing beautiful contrast. It is fitted with the original IWC bead-of-rice bracelet, which wears exceptionally well on the wrist. Both case and bracelet show only minimal wear. The bracelet currently fits a 17 cm wrist, with additional links available from IWC if needed.

The IW3513 was one of IWC’s core models, produced from the 1980s into the early 2000s. Its moderate size and understated design were exactly what IWC buyers sought in an era otherwise dominated by flashier watches from other Swiss brands.

This example has been freshly serviced and is running well at 0 seconds per day, with 275 amplitude and a 0.1 ms beat error.