The headline for IWC at this year’s SIHH show was their new Portofino watch collection, and accordingly, the IWC booth was decorated inside to look like Portofino, Italy. Portofino is a small Italian fishing village and tourist resort located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town crowded round its small harbour is considered to be among the most beautiful Mediterranean ports.

The new Portofino collection, is available in four different models: the Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days, Portofino Dual Time, Portofino Chronograph and Portofino Automatic. The pieces vary in case diameter from 40 mm to 45 mm. The automatic is 40 mm, the chronograph is 42 mm and the Dual Time and Hand-Wound Eight Days are both 45 mm. The automatic and chronograph have solid casebacks, and the Dual Time and Hand-Wound Eight Days have sapphire crystal casebacks. All four pieces run at 4 Hz (28,800 vph).

Another interesting story this year at IWC, is Italian shoemaker Santoni has created a line of straps for IWC timepieces. Not every timepiece in the Portofino collection comes with a Santoni leather strap, but they will be available optionally.

The Portofino collection is simple, classic and elegant. And if you like premium handmade Italian leather shoes, then you might like premium handmade Italian leather watch straps by Santoni as well.