IWC Portofino 8 days...question on winding

Hello everyone, I just purchased an IWC Portofino Handwound 8 days Moonphase and I have a question on winding. 

How would I know when the watch is completely wound? The power reserve already shows 8 days, but the winding action still feels the same. The manual says the watch should be wound until a distinct resistance can be felt. I’ve continued winding the watch for 40 rotations after it has shown 8 days but there is no change in resistance. 

Should i continue winding it? I’m afraid of damaging the watch! I have an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch and the crown basically stops turning when the power reserve is full. Should I expect this from the Portofino as well?

Thanks!!!

There is a clutch mechanism that prevents overwiding and harm to the watch. Once the PR indicator is at 8 days, there is no need to coninue winding.   

Thanks Bill for the quick response!

i forgot to mention that mine is the Portofino handwound 8 days moonphase.  Is it correct to say then that this calibre has a clutch similar to automatic movements? For a manual movement I was expecting the winding to come to a hard stop...

Hi Bill,

now I'm confused....is the Portofino Handwound 8 days Moonphase 59800 calibre supposed to stop winding when the PR is full? I tried winding it again and it doesn’t come to a stop...

Sorry for the confusion.  Since the watch is the 8 Day manual wind, it does not have a clutch. It will stop winding when the mainspring is fully wound.  Once the crown stops turning / meets rsistence, the PR should be at 8 days.  Don't attempt to wind furhter.  Once fully wound, I would back it off a bit to relese some of the tension ont the barrell / mainspring.   

Thanks for th explanation. Now I’m worried my watch is damaged...I seem to be able to continue winding it....the crown doesn’t meet any hard resistance or stop turning. 

This is so odd!

You don’t have to worry that you have damaged your mechanism.

According to IWC specifications, the 8 day hand-wound caliber has a generously sized barrel measuring 1.7 centimetres in diameter and accommodates an 86-centimetre-long spring, which discharges its energy in 14 revolutions and requires in excess of 70 crown revolutions to fully charge.

To put this in perspective: IWC’s in-house chronograph movements have a mainspring just 50 centimetres in length, which runs down after 11 revolutions. 

I think you are not at at the end yet. So once you have reached an indicated 8 days of power reserve, STOP WINDING!
Any additional tension in the mainspring will add unnecessary stress on the barrel. 

To illustrate my point, your and my Speedmaster has a 2 day power reserve and you know how long it takes to wind that up from stop. 
Now multiply that by 4. 
(Actually 4.5, because the 8 day movement has a 9 day capacity, but to ensure accuracy is automatically stopped after 8 days.)

thanks Mark for the detailed response!

I’ll stop winding when I see the PR at 8 days :) a member of another forum who also owns the same watch said that his watch has the same behaviour, and he is able to continue winding even though the PR is already at 8 days. He believes there is a clutch that prevents overwinding. 

Which makes me wonder - did IWC modify the movement to allow this when they added the Moonphase complication? Both our watches are the 150 Years edition as well, or maybe this is the reason?

Another owner of the Portofino 8 days (without Moonphase) said that his crown comes to a hard stop when the PR is full. 

Strange. Any owners of the Portofino 8 days Moonphase here who can comment?

Hi everybody

I also own a Portofino Handwound 8 Days Moonphase (IW516406) and there is also no sign of resistance after the Power Reserve reaches 8 days...I also thought, that there would be restistance, but there isn't. But I never turned the crown much further.
So, maybe there really is a difference between the models with and the ones without the Moonphase Complication...

Greetings
Philipp

Hello Philipp,

thanks for the confirmation! Now I feel much better to know my watch is working fine :)

I wonder if IWC has included a clutch mechanism in this Calibre to prevent overwinding...yesterday when I continued winding even though the PR is already at 8 days, i thought I heard some clicks which sounds like clutch at work..

Thank You Tonny for clarifying 

Thank you Tonny for the clarification, now I can fully enjoy this brilliant timepiece !

and of course thanks to everyone else who posted, it is great to know there is such a supportive community as i start my journey into the world of IWC :D