Introducing the New IWC Portofino Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake Watch

2025 will mark the year of the snake in Chinese culture. IWC captures the majestic creature perfectly via the new Portofino Moon Phase 37, through a specially designed rose gold rotor. On the front of the watch is a stunning moon phase indicator, sitting upon a rich burgundy dial. Jura Watches has all the details on the new IWC Portofino Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake watch here.

Many people know that the Chinese Zodiac has 12 different animals to represent each month of the year, but what they don’t always know is that each one is associated with one of five distinct elements. These elements include wood, fire, earth, metal and water. As part of Chinese cosmology, these elements play an important role in Chinese culture and are believed to influence certain characteristics and fortunes.

In Chinese philosophy, wood is considered the element that brings growth, spring, and renewal, not to mention promoting vitality, creativity, strength, and flexibility. Each animal in the Chinese Zodiac takes its name from one of the five elements each time it comes around over a period of 60 years. This year is the year of the Wood Snake. It combines the traditional attributes of the snake with the qualities of the Wood element. The snake itself is the sixth animal of the Chinese Zodiac and people born as snakes are believed to be mysterious, determined caring, smart and talkative. They achieve their goals with both commitment and enthusiasm, showing a strong passion and dedication to their beliefs and vision. Coincidentally, these qualities are shared with IWC Schaffhausen and its unique approach to traditional watchmaking. Because these values are underpinned so well, IWC watches have a distinctive beauty and can be identified from afar, with their crisp, legible pilot-inspired dials, classic chronographs, and large circular profiles. 

Ahead of the Chinese New Year in January 2025, IWC Schaffhausen has been preparing to show the world one of its most beautiful timepieces yet. The IWC Portofino Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the watch in its name. The timepiece is produced by the Schaffhausen-based watchmaker and will obviously house a superior automatic movement within its robust case. Also, it leans into Chinese culture, taking on the title of the Year of the Snake theme. The watch belongs to the elegantly refined Portofino watch collection – a popular collectable for those who love the classic dress watch.

More specifically, the watch brings some beautiful features to the table, like a stunning gold-plated rotor, carved into the shape of a snake. It also promises an impressive power reserve and comes on a classic black leather strap, complete with a polished stainless steel folding buckle. But more on those finer details later.

The Portofino

There is now an array of sizes to enjoy in the Portofino watch collection, but things weren’t always like that. Only a couple of options would appeal to those with slender wrists back when the watch was first launched. The collection, which arrived in 1984, came in a 34mm option, which the new generation now also offers. The slimmest of all, however, was launched in 1994 in a manual wind version. Before the collection ever began, however, IWC had mastered the beautiful pocket watch version of the Portofino, and although complications and functionality have evolved slightly since then, the majority of the Portofino watch’s design has stayed intact. Let’s see how much. 

The New Portofino Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake Watch

The new Year of the Snake watch is not the only newness in the Portofino collection right now. The brand has also reached a significant first. Simultaneously released alongside this stunning burgundy model is the first Portofino 39 to be fitted on a stainless steel bracelet. The watch features a silver dial encased in a 39mm stainless steel structure complete with chronograph counters placed at 12 and 6 o’clock. The rhodium-plated hands and appliques seem to catch the light more than ever before since the polished links of the bracelet entice light to play upon the wrist in this new and classic design.

Back to the new burgundy reference of the Portofino Moon Phase 37 watch, though. As you might have guessed, this is a 37mm model, making it a perfect companion for those with smaller wrists measuring around 6.5-7.5 inches. The watch is true to the designs of yesteryear, sporting a more compact case and following in line with recent watch trends leaning towards smaller sizes once more.

The new IWC Portofino Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake watch presents the time on a mesmerising burgundy dial – a shade we have never seen IWC use before. It is thought to represent vibrant colour and fire. The watch is available in plenty of time before the Chinese New Year begins on January 19th 2025, and symbolises rebirth and change as does the snake itself. The strong design features a moon phase display at 12 o’clock, which accurately captures the positioning of the moon, as it is seen each evening throughout the lunar cycle. The complication is so accurate that you need not expect this watch to deviate from the orbit of the earth by any more than one day every 122 years.

IWC specialists have chosen elegant gold detail to decorate the stars and moon within this complication. They match the hour markers and the hands perfectly. Nestled underneath these elegant dial details is an in-house movement that provides an impressive power reserve of 120 hours and performs at a rate of 28, 800 vibrations per hour.  The Caliber comprises a total of 187 components including 21 jewels for a smooth performance. The beautiful snake, adorned with an intricate scaley pattern, is meticulously etched into rose gold to form the rotor in this special design. The feature is put on show through a sapphire crystal glass caseback.

One of the most appealing factors of this new IWC Portofino is the fact it wears small for slenderer wrists. Experts at the Schaffhausen-based watchmaking facilities equip this watch on a classic black calfskin strap, equipped with a polished steel pin buckle.

If you’d like to order the new IWC Portofino Moon Phase 37 Year of the Snake watch, you can call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453 or email us at help@jurawatches.co.uk today.