Red Gold Portofino Automatic 2011

Good evening all,

Just a few comments which I posted in the section dedicated to the portofino collection, but which I feel is better suited to the forum.

I was planning on buying an IWC watch as a birthday gift for myself and the Red Gold Portofino Automatic was to be my chosen watch.

I have tried on the current yellow gold version with black strap in shops and like the feel of it, but I prefer the brown strap, roman numerals and slightly larger case of the newer version, though at only 1mm extra, the size differential may prove negligible.

The current cause of my hesitation in choosing to buy this watch is that it seems, from my conversation with a London based authorised dealer, that the new portofino will cost £7,750 whereas the model currently on sale, retails for £5,900.

So my two questions are (i) why the significant (almost £2,000) price increase for a very similar product, and (ii) is the new portofino, in red gold, worth its new price?

I should be most grateful for any advice on these points or for any general observations anyone cares to share, since this discovery is leading me away from IWC, though not, might I add, into the realm of the Rolex Datejust, which had been my previous, highly unoriginal, preference, but rather, into the unknown.

Many thanks.

Hi, discussion of pricing information is generally disallowed in this forum, but here's my 2 cents on a series that I was contemplating for quite a while before saying no to it:

2011 has been ear-marked to be the Year of the Portofino, with the Automatic, Chronograph series being updated - I have never been a fan of the Portofino Automatic and based on specifications of the 3563, 3564 and what i know of the 3565 you are referring to, I don't see any major differences in the movement, although I am not the right person to properly comment on this.

aesthetically though, I think the new 3565 with a larger dial and roman numerals (and new Santoni leather strap or Milanese bracelet) does make a more appealing difference to me (and the new, see these pics by Bill of the 3565:

and the 3564 (and discussion) by VAHALIS:
www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/27008/?page=1#post_300984