IWC Portofino Ref. 5251 Closed vs. Display Back

been a while since I acquired my ref 5251, in the same month as my platinum 5001-04,







...and it so happened this week that I spotted and swooped upon a 'similar 5251' to add to my collection. but I have always longed for an opportunity to compare both in the quiet of my own home, and at the price point which I acquired it, it seemed a great opportunity.

what am I talking about ? the pics and bottom writeup should explain this. enjoy.









































the ref 5251 otherwise known as the 'fried egg' or 'spiegelei' in German, or the 'original Portofino', although some creative licence applies to the last. Key differences between the two versions: a larger/more sunken & more perceptible seconds counter; greater thickness due to the crystal display-back; slight weight difference due to the solid gold caseback.

Housing the pocket watch Cal 95 movement, the ref 5251 was conceived by Kurt Klaus and IWC designer Hanno Burtcher (over a beer, or in a bar, or in a disco: I have heard all three situations , who decided to re-launch the 5250 pocket watch as a big wristwatch by adding lugs and strap.

Clocking in at 46mm, and the two different heights you can see in the pics, there are two (established*) versions of ref 5251 - all in yellow gold, and one with a solid gold back, and the other a display back. Production first began in 1980 of the (rarer) closed back version, and ceased (I believe) around 1998. The ref 5251 is today an iconic part of IWC's history, and to me, reflective of the 'big watch' thinking that is very much part of its DNA.

For further reading and even greater pictures, please look at:
(Attention: No links, please. Thanks! Oliver)

*I have recounted to me by a watch buddy who insists he saw a white gold version of the ref 5251 showed to him by a private collector.

thanks for reading !

This message has been edited by small-luxury-world on 2013-08-13 00:56:44