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The poetic world of Le Petit Prince meets the understated elegance of IWC’s compact Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34!

IWC Schaffhausen’s Portofino collection is one that can seem overlooked at times. With collections such as the Portugieser, Ingenieur and Pilot’s Watches taking centre stage more often, the Portofino can feel like a line that frequently flies under the radar. For me personally, however, it remains one of IWC’s best-kept secrets.

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Unveiled during Watches & Wonders 2026 is the first-ever Portofino to feature IWC’s Le Petit Prince theme!

The Portofino collection also has a distinctive design within IWC’s broader range, allowing it to stand entirely on its own. How this design originated is a story in itself, as the Portofino emerged during a period when the world of mechanical watchmaking was going through considerable turmoil. By the early 1980s, quartz watches were dominating the market, forcing IWC to explore different ideas that would make its mechanical timepieces appealing within an increasingly quartz-driven industry.

During this period, the brand experimented with more contemporary designs, including Gérald Genta’s Ingenieur SL from 1976. Its distinctive case and integrated bracelet would become widely recognised and adored in the decades that followed. While many brands pursued similarly modern designs during the Quartz Crisis, IWC also introduced another collection that returned to a more historical approach through its design language.

IWC’s Marketing Director at the time, Hannes Pantli, was fond of Italian style and elegance and pushed for a watch that embodied these characteristics alongside a sense of relaxed sophistication. This led IWC design head Hanno Burtscher and legendary watchmaker Kurt Klaus to discuss how the Lépine pocket watch Reference 5250 could effectively be transformed into a wristwatch, as it already carried many of the design elements sought by Pantli.

The initial concept for the Portofino was reportedly sketched on a napkin in a Schaffhausen tavern before eventually being developed into the Portofino Reference 5251, launched in 1984. This model became known as the “Giant Portofino” because of its unusually large case, which made a bold statement on the wrist, particularly during an era when quartz watches were generally becoming smaller.

What defined the early Portofino collection was its pocket-watch-inspired proportions, minimalist design and prominent moon-phase display, creating an elegant and restrained identity overall. Over the decades, the Portofino collection has featured many different designs, including a variety of case sizes, dial colours, materials and complications. We can even see from IWC’s modern Portofino line-up just how much variety has emerged from this once simple and elegant design.

However, the model I have for review is more than just another Portofino. It also connects with the story of French aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a separate chapter in IWC Schaffhausen’s history that began in 2006. WatchAdvice has covered the connection between Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and IWC in great detail, but to summarise, the partnership began with his descendants and later expanded to support the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation.

Since then, IWC Schaffhausen has honoured his literary legacy and humanist values through numerous special-edition timepieces, most recognisable through their deep-blue dials and references to Le Petit Prince.

The Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 Le Petit Prince was introduced during Watches and Wonders 2026, marking 20 years since IWC’s partnership with the descendants of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry began. The timepiece uses the existing Day & Night 34 platform, first introduced in 2022, giving the model a proper Portofino foundation while allowing the poetic character of Le Petit Prince to come through beautifully within the day-and-night complication.

Initial Impressions

The Portofino traditionally represents the quieter and more elegant side of IWC, with its vintage-inspired charm setting it apart from the brand’s more technical and contemporary Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur models. The Le Petit Prince story also adds another layer of storytelling and personality to the timepiece.

Historically, IWC’s Le Petit Prince models have been closely associated with its Pilot’s Watches, and rightly so given Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s aviation background. Seeing the theme make its way into the Portofino collection therefore feels unexpected, but its poetic character complements the watch’s elegant design naturally while giving the model a more meaningful identity.

The Portofino is a collection that I have always wanted to review within IWC Schaffhausen’s line-up. Its vintage-inspired charm strongly resonates with me, and given the compact size of this particular watch, I am also one of the few members of the WatchAdvice team who can come close to pulling it off!

Vintage Elegance In 34mm

One of the biggest distinguishing features of the Portofino is its case design. The collection has always centred around understated elegance and a vintage-inspired aesthetic, particularly drawing from the previously mentioned Lépine pocket watch Reference 5250. This influence can be seen through the model’s simple design and the clean architecture of its case, bezel and lugs, with the relationship between these different elements appearing elegant and smooth.

The slender, protruding lugs extend separately from the rounded case profile, giving the overall aesthetic a more traditional and vintage-inspired appearance. The lugs also curve down smoothly, which helps soften the overall design while adding to the elegant character for which the Portofino is known.

The elephant in the room with this particular model is its compact size, with the case measuring just 34mm in diameter and 8.9mm thick. This gives the watch a very compact profile that will better suit more slender and predominantly feminine wrists. There are larger sizes within the Portofino range that will suit many gentlemen just fine. However, with this particular Le Petit Prince edition, the Portofino is available exclusively in the 34mm size.

On my 16cm wrist, the case remains wearable, which I will discuss in greater depth later. However, as you can see from the images, it sits close to the lower limit of what I would typically wear and can appear borderline too small from certain angles. In saying that, I have increasingly preferred smaller models between 35mm and 39mm, as these proportions generally suit my wrist better. While this particular size may not be ideal for me, it does show the potential of the Portofino collection and how its elegant design translates visually when worn.

The case retains the familiar aesthetic found throughout much of the Portofino collection, aside from the more decorative diamond-set variations. The stainless-steel case of this Le Petit Prince edition features polished finishing throughout, allowing its rounded surfaces and curves to reflect light beautifully. The fully polished treatment also gives the watch a more luxurious appearance, especially when combined with its slender bezel and compact proportions.

Storytelling Across The Dial

The dial continues the Portofino’s classic pocket-watch-inspired design, with the most notable details being the sharp and refined hour indices and leaf-style hands. This is personally what I love about the Portofino collection in general. It really leans into that traditional and classical styling, presenting a look that is more suited to dressier attire and formal settings. With this Le Petit Prince Day & Night edition, this is emphasised further through the additional aesthetic details.

The sunray-brushed finishing gives the dial greater depth. The deep blue used on the dial has also become synonymous with IWC’s Le Petit Prince editions. In fact, this rich, deep-blue sunray-brushed dial is one of the most recognisable features of the Le Petit Prince collection outside of the Little Prince himself.

IWC Schaffhausen deliberately chose this deep-blue hue as a thematic connection to the iconic story itself. In the novella, the Little Prince originates from a tiny asteroid, B-612, and travels across the cosmos from planet to planet. This deep-blue colour is meant to represent the vastness of the sky, along with the adventures and exploration experienced by the Little Prince throughout the cosmos.

This model does lean more towards the feminine market, as it also features diamonds for each of the hour markers. IWC has used small brilliant-cut white diamonds, giving the dial a far more luxurious and glamorous appearance. This is quite fitting for this particular Le Petit Prince reference, presenting a softer and more feminine interpretation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story.

The standout feature of the dial, however, is the day-and-night indicator at 6 o’clock. With its large display, it immediately takes visual prominence on the dial. The indicator is directly linked to the hour hand, acting as a 24-hour display rather than following the 12-hour scale around the dial. While a day-and-night indicator may not have as much practical relevance today, there is a nice historical connection to this complication, which helped miners, travellers and aviators operating in dark environments differentiate between AM and PM hours.

However, with this Le Petit Prince edition, naturally IWC Schaffhausen has gone the extra distance to tie it back to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story. While the sun is depicted the same, the standard traditional moon graphic has now been transformed into a detail that directly references the story of the Le Petit Prince.

Within the story, the Little Prince loves watching sunsets from his tiny planet, Asteroid B-612, so it makes perfect sense to incorporate this detail into the day-and-night indicator. In place of the crescent moon, we are now treated to Asteroid B-612, with an engraved figure of the Little Prince himself standing upon it.

A Familiar Automatic Workhorse

Rather than developing a completely new movement from the ground up for this Le Petit Prince edition, IWC uses its Calibre 35180, a familiar workhorse within the Portofino line. The Calibre 35180 is based on the reliable Sellita SW300-1 architecture, which IWC modifies with its own components and day-and-night module. Despite the automatic winding and added complication, IWC Schaffhausen has managed to keep the watch remarkably slim.

The watch comes with a solid stainless-steel caseback, which means that the movement remains hidden rather than being visible through an open sapphire display. While I naturally love seeing an open caseback with a view of the movement, in this instance, it makes sense to feature the intricate Le Petit Prince artwork engraved onto the steel caseback.

How Does The Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 Le Petit Prince Wear?

The compact 34mm case size is something that will be immediately noticeable on the wrist. While this model is primarily targeted towards a female audience, guys can certainly pull it off, provided they have a wrist size of around 15cm to 16cm. On my 16cm wrist, you can see that it is borderline in how it wears, sitting close to the lower limit of what I would personally consider visually appropriate.

The small 34mm case means that the dial is naturally smaller as well, making the watch appear even more compact than its measurements may initially suggest. The slim 8.9mm case thickness helps the Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 Le Petit Prince sit incredibly flat, further reinforcing the watch’s elegant nature and purpose as a refined dress watch.

While it is not necessarily required for my wrist size due to the already compact proportions, the curved and protruding lugs guide the leather strap down towards the wrist almost immediately without any overhang. This prevents unnecessary gaps between the case and the skin. With the case sitting flat on the wrist, the lug design also allows the strap to provide a tighter and more secure fit. The timepiece delivers a lightweight and unobtrusive wearing experience overall, and at times, it can be easy to forget that you are wearing a watch at all!

The hand-dyed blue alligator-leather strap from Santoni feels soft on the wrist, and due to the supple nature of the material, it requires very little time to conform to the contours of the wrist. The narrow 16mm strap width also complements the overall “delicate” proportions of the watch. More importantly, it continues the deep-blue colour of the Le Petit Prince theme onto the strap, giving the timepiece a harmonious and well-balanced appearance.

The quick-change system makes the strap fairly easy to remove. However, the compact case and narrow lug width may make it difficult to find alternative straps that suit the watch and its overall aesthetic.

Although I am not the target audience for this timepiece, especially with its 34mm case proportions, it is still a watch I wanted to experience because its traditional aesthetic and vintage-inspired design are right up my alley. The smooth and curved case design is reminiscent of old pocket watches, which, as mentioned earlier, inspired the design of the original Portofino.

Then you have the polished finishing throughout the case, lugs, and bezel, which gives the watch its overall elegant and luxurious appearance while allowing it to shine beautifully under different lighting angles. The timepiece’s slim profile, curved lugs and supple Santoni strap make it exceptionally comfortable to wear, even if its visual proportions sit on the borderline of being too small for my personal taste.

Final Thoughts

IWC has brought the Le Petit Prince design to the Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 and elevated it in a way that feels surprisingly natural. The traditional and vintage-inspired design of the Portofino provides the perfect foundation for the poetic world of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story, while the deep-blue dial, gold-plated details and charming day-and-night display give the watch considerably more personality than a conventional dress piece.

What I personally love is that IWC’s Le Petit Prince theme never feels out of place within this timepiece. While it has traditionally been featured within the brand’s Pilot’s Watches, and naturally so given Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s aviation background, its integration into the Portofino feels equally fitting. The story’s poetic character complements the collection’s elegant design beautifully, particularly through the day-and-night display.

The 34mm case size will naturally not appeal to every male wearer, as even on my relatively slim 16cm wrist, it sits at the lower boundary of what I would personally prefer. However, this is intended as a more feminine interpretation of Le Petit Prince, so those with slender wrists will appreciate its compact vintage proportions, literary storytelling and understated elegance. As the first Portofino dedicated to Le Petit Prince, it presents a charming and genuinely meaningful addition to IWC’s collection.

IWC Schaffhausen Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 Le Petit Prince

Reference & Specifications

Feature	Specification
Reference	IW459806
Dimensions	34mm case diameter x 8.9mm thickness
Case	Stainless steel with polished finishing
Dial	Deep-blue sunray-brushed dial with gold-plated hands and appliqués, 12 white diamond hour markers and day-and-night display
Crystal	Convex sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating
Caseback	Solid stainless-steel caseback engraved with the Little Prince
Movement	Automatic Calibre 35180 with 50 hours power reserve
Accuracy	4Hz / 28,800vph
Functions	Hours, minutes, central hacking seconds and 24-hour day-and-night display
Water Resistance	50m / 5bar
Strap/Bracelet	Hand-dyed blue Santoni alligator-leather strap with quick-change system and butterfly folding clasp

Australian Retail Price: AU$11,500

Availability: Available through IWC boutiques, or head online to IWC.com.au

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