The sun touches the horizon and will soon be sinking into the sea. So what’s the time at home? If I call now, will I be waking the family? A glance at the new Portofino Dual Time, a smile. The watch, radiant and resplendent, vies for attention with the sunset. A never-ending source of pleasure, its elegant lines and perfect proportions are a feast for the eyes of its owner, who now realizes that he can make the call without any uncertainty.

The time at home,with your nearest and dearest, is shown unerringly by the new 64710 calibre, which is manufactured exclusively for IWC by MHVF (Manufacture Horlogère ValFleurier). The 24-hour display, discreetly positioned in the upper half of the dial, reliably displays the time back at home. A red hand completes a full revolution once a day, while the index markers and imprinted numerals show the time from 0 to 24 hours. To facilitate this, the centre of the 24-hour display is divided into two differently coloured zones. The lower half, which shows the time from 6 to18 hours is lighter in appearance. The upper half, from18 to 6, is darker. This effect was achieved by IWC’s designers by using a special kind of finish on the dial. As you would expect in a watch from the Portofino family, the effect is not brash, but extremely understated.

Local time is displayed conventionally on the hour and minute hands. To set it – preferably before landing – the owner simply pulls out the crown from its basic winding position to position 1. With the crown in this position, the hour hand can be moved backwards or forwards in one-hour steps to show current local time whenever required. If, in the process, the hour hand passes the 24 mark, the date at the destination in question is likewise adjusted, either forwards or backwards. To set the hour hand, it is first necessary to disengage the drive from the watch movement. Together with the small seconds and minute hand, the movement continues to run uninterrupted and keep the time precisely. If the time in general requires adjustment, the crown is pulled out to position 2. A hacking seconds permits the Portofino Dual Time to be set with down-to-the second accuracy.

Behind all this ingenious functionality is the completely new 64710 calibre, which stands for relentless progress in terms of both construction and design. The bearings which are used to seat the moving parts,for example, are made not only of synthetic ruby but also of high-tech zirconium oxide. The state-of-the-art design principles are likewise reflected in the indexless adjustment system. Precision setting of the enormously accurate movement is achieved via four weight screws on the balance rim, which oscillates at a rate of 4 hertz or 28,800 beats per hour. Two barrels ensure a power reserve of 72 hours when the watch is fully wound. A bidirectional pawl-winding system transmits energy to the barrels every time the wearer of the Portofino Dual Time moves his arm. The rotor with the engraving “Probus Scafusia” – “Good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen” – and the exquisitely finished movement can be viewed through the sapphire-glass back.

As befitting a watch of its class, the superb movement is housed in a typically elegant, Portofino-style case measuring 45 millimetres in diameter. The Portofino Dual Time is available in a fabulous solid red gold case with a black dial, or in simple stainless steel with a choice of either a black or a silver-plated dial. In the red gold version the characteristic indices and numerals are likewise made of solid gold. The arched-edge sapphire glass has an antireflective coating on both sides and sets off the lightness and elegance of the watch to perfection.

This watch, designed for globetrotters and connoisseurs alike, is secured to the wrist by unique straps manufactured by Santoni, the Italian top-quality shoe manufacturers. The hand-dyed leather straps in black or dark brown underscore the Italian-style delicacy of touch typical of the Portofino family. A discreet pin buckle or a slim folding clasp elegantly rounds off the overall picture.