Steel chrono, white dial, mesh bracelet

I wonder if anybody has the Portofino chrono with a white dial and the mesh bracelet: it is in the catalogue, and in a way a perfect summer holiday watch, as it both looks sporty and elegant, and is sweat resistant. Are there any wrist shots or other pictures of this watch?

I pose this question because suddenly the other combination crossed my mind: the white dial Portuguese Chrono Classic, with the mesh bracelet belonging to the Portofino 8 Days Handwound: both 22 mm lug width. My fantasy makes this combination look fabulous, worth the extra Euro's because it makes the watch more summer resistant. The high quality mesh that is not too thin could be the perfect companion to the elegant watch that is slightly bulkier than its Portofino counterpart. Of course, this is a bit out of the box thinking, but to me it could be nice to pursue: anybody here with Photoshop skills to make this combination visible?

Kind regards,
Paul

I guess it can be safely stated that nobody here has the mesh bracelet? Does anybody like it in a way? I saw it once, two years ago, it looked quite nice, elegant and also sturdy to me. But unlike the Santoni straps it seems not attractive enough to experiment with, I guess maybe it is a bit expensive for an experiment too.

Kind regards,
Paul

Greetings Paul,

Looking at the Portofino Chrono/white dial on mesh bracelet from the "Collections" it makes a very nice combination. In fact, the black dial equally looks great.

While I don't have the Portofino Chrono, I have seen the mesh bracelet in the metal and it is very attractive and comfortable. Photos make the bracelet appear a bit more darker than it really is. It is more on the bright side than for lack of better words, antiqued.

Since I have the Portuguese Classic Steel/Silver dial on order, your vision of putting a mesh bracelet on it sparked me to visualize it also. If memory serves me right, I think there was a posting a number of months back that had a mesh bracelet paired with a Portuguese Chrono (3714). I think it looked fine, but would need to see it in the metal to be sure. Since the end of the mesh bracelet is straight unlike the curved OEM Santoni on the new Classic, I don't think there would be any fit issues to contend with. Just more of a gap from case to bracelet, not that is any of a aesthetic problem.

Best suggestion is to see it in the flesh and then make a determination if
it matches your vision. BTW, I too would like to see it in Photoshop form if someone has that skill. Sadly, I flunked Photoshop 101.

Regards,

Andy

Here you go,

[](s691.photobucket.com/user/sidestreaker/media/Timepiece/IW390403_1_test_zps3ec58cd7.jpg.html)

I've done many other combinations, some weird ones too...

Just point out that the new Portuguese Classic has a curved spring bar between the lugs which means that the bracelet may not fit. However the 3714 Portuguese Chrono can take the Milanese bracelet, this was photoshop created some time ago by Cellar and one or two have done this in the metal. A bracelet which costs £1000 give or take, ordered for the new Portuguese Classic Chrono and then to find it might not fit will cause much annoyance and may well be something the AD may not want to carry.

I nominate SIDESTREAKER as the Official Forum PhotoShopper. The mesh bracelet is not bad, not bad at all.

When my new Portuguese Chrono arrives, I will have my AD swap the mesh off a Portofino and give it the Classic try on. Will report back with results.

Andy

Sidestreaker, this is FANTASTIC!! Thank you very much for the effort! I think the result looks very attractive indeed. If it would work, what a special and good looking watch that would be.

There are two problems to clear up:
1. Do the holes in the lugs allow for the mesh bracelet? This, because of the curved "pin" for the strap, and the possible thickness of the end of the mesh bracelet. I guess only IWC can answer this, is there a way an IWC representative reading this post can answer this?
2. The standard mesh bracelet for the Portofino Chrono is meant for a watch with a 21 mm lug size, if I am correct. There was however a 22 mm mesh bracelet available for the Portofino 8 Days Handwound. It was not mentioned in the standard catalogue, but it was mentioned in the AD workbook, I saw it there when I bought my Portofino 8 Days Handwound 2 years ago. The question is, is this bracelet still available? And the 2000 CHF question is: does it fit? Again, IWC-input would be much appreciated.

This really would be marvellous, I guess such an end result would be very, very attractive, what do you think?

Kind regards,
Paul

Glad you like it. I thought it would look fantastic from the back too...

[](s691.photobucket.com/user/sidestreaker/media/Timepiece/IW390403_2_test_zps01ab478b.jpg.html)

Do let us know and get some real shots if the combination is successful.

Wow... just wow.

Vincent - your PS work is excellent. Thanks so much.

Paul - thanks for prompting this discussion too. I agree with you on the special and good looking nature of this combination.

Andy - really looking forward to seeing a real life shot if possible.

While I have always thought a bracelet on a Portuguese would be heresy, that doesn't look bad at all. The chrono is certainly sporty enough to carry it off on a bracelet. Personally I think a larger link bracelet like an Aquatimer bracelet would look better, but I realize there is no way it would fit properly. It will be fun to see a picture of a real Portuguese chrono on mesh bracelet once one of you guys actually tries it.

Having now admitted that this could work, I bet the same bracelet on a Laureus Yacht Club would look super.

UK Greg. That was a very good comment you made about the spring bar fitting-I was thinking the very same myself.
Kenneth.

That looks impressive indeed!

Kenneth, thanks for your comment. However I fear some are about to blow approx £1000 or equivalent on a bracelet which may never fit.

I am quite interested, but before anything happens, like ordering the bracelet, I first will want a well documented confirmation by IWC that this combination is possible. Maybe this forum can help, maybe some enquiry made by the moderator. Or otherwise a direct enquiry to IWC, maybe they will answer. Or this same enquiry made through the AD. It would be very nice to see some real pictures of the watch with the bracelet. For that, of course both the watch and the bracelet must be available to try it out, I wonder if IWC would be prepeared to make the effort. I would see that as a super service that can lead to some interesting sales. Let's wait and see what is possible here.

Kind regards,
Paul

Paul, use the contact point at the top of this page to ask the question of IWC direct, rather than an AD or boutique.
Personally I am suprised the new Chrono has curved spring bars. It's the only watch in the current line up that does, as such it requires a totally new set of straps by Santoni both for deployant and also pin buckle and each having three sizes, likewise the Milanese bracelet is available in three lengths should it fit and as stated it is an option to replace the 22mm Santoni for the Portofino 8 day HW.
Having a Santoni strap on my 5001 and being delighted with its patina I would be loathe to swap a stock strap as beautiful as that for a bracelet....unless I lived in somewhere that was excessively hot and humid.

Hi Greg, I did pose my questions in the way you indicated, thank you for the tip. I put all the questions here in the form I had to fill in. I hope I will get my answers soon. I would like to see the end result live before deciding, that could be an interesting challenge. I agree with you that the Santoni strap is so beautiful that there is no real need to replace it by the bracelet. But I have a soft spot for the mesh bracelet, and I would like to have another dressy/sporty watch to walk with in the mountains, with its dust, sweat, sun tan oil, a combination that I will not permit on my straps. Of course this is a luxury issue, but hey, we are here in a nice, luxurious place.

Kind regards,
Paul

Thankyou for your kind reply Greg.With the curvature of the spring bar,do you think that the holes drilled into the case may be offset to accommodate this new arrangement.
Regards.
Kenneth.

Kenneth, I did a check and the curved spring bars I found at a supplier of jewellery and watch supplies were completely curved but I have no idea as to how the holes are drilled into the lugs.

I thought I read something about this and indeed in the current issue of Watch International there is an article on the Chrono and on the Tourbillon hand-wound. Both have the strap rounded off against the case. It says that for the Tourbillon the holes for the lugs are drilled at an angle, so it would seem logical that the same was done for the Chrono.

Still better have IWC confirm.

Kind regards,
Marinus

[QUOTE="Personally I am suprised the new Chrono has curved spring bars. It's the only watch in the current line up that does, as such it requires a totally new set of straps by Santoni both for deployant and also pin buckle and each having three sizes....[/QUOTE]

Yes these are completely new Santonis with curved ends for the new Port Chrono Classic.

Having said that, I did fit a regular BD Santoni on these curved spring bars and they fit very well. Not as perfectly 'curved' as the original one yet (the straps are somewhat rigid at the end) but it looks close to perfect!!

Regards,

Bob

OK, it is official now, the mesh bracelet of the Portofino 8 Days Handwound does NOT fit on the Portuguese Chronograph Classic. So I was told by Mrs. Sarah Weisenburger, IWC Concierge Services, she mailed me today.

Just to be sure, that bracelet does still exist, sometimes there were questions about it here. As the lug size of the Portofino 8 Days Handwound is the same as of most Portuguese watches, this bracelet would fit on these normal strapped Portugueses. And maybe some other watches too, like some Pilot's watches. But these are my ideas, not of IWC. The price of the bracelet was written to me, let's say it is not inexpensive. But being quite intricately made and beautiful, quite fitting, I would say.

Kind regards,
Paul

You can strive your local saddlery or cobbler for some leather care items
inclusive of Dubbin as you can see, Neatsfoot oil or other comparable leather-based care
merchandise that will help the method.

There are some real-life photos about a silver-dialled 3714 on mesh, you can
google it as I don't think a direct link is allowed. The watch is already sold
but some photos remained available.

Hope this helps. Best,

Robert

This thread was revived by what seems like a random (spam? - sorry, not sure
what Jiskei's intent was) post, but it is interesting nevertheless. I did not
know that IWC made (or offered - who actually is the manufacturer?) mesh
bands. I'm trying different bands for my 371604 Portugieser chrono (white dial
with gold numerals & hands); currently I'm wearing it on a Miltat/Strapcode
superfine, which has 24 links across, is 20mm wide (obviously) and 1.5mm thick
at the lugs, tapering to 18mm wide and 1.7mm thick at the ('seat belt' type)
clasp. It's very comfy, not too thick in the overlap area, has good
adjustability, the clasp feels secure, but I'm wondering whether a slightly
coarser (fewer links across) band would look better with this watch.

15 or 16 links across, like the Omega NTTD Seamaster titanium mesh, might look
too coarse, that band is probably also too thick (and wouldn't fit anyway),
but maybe something in between? What have people here tried for their dressier
sport chronos?