A Modern Tool Watch (An Ode of Sorts)

He is a self made man. Growing up in rural Korea, supported by his father who had excellent foresight, he was able to graduate university and start a life as a business man in the capital city. He then was able to climb the ranks, be dispatched to a foreign country (SAR to be precise) named Hong Kong, and become an owner of a small company.

He was never impressed by the glitz and glamour. Yes, he is able to appreciate the fine things in life, but his priority was to never let his children know the hardship and suffering he went through. Only after he ensured that his family was well, he started spending a little on himself. He gifted his wife and himself a Rolex each when things were good, but his watch rarely left the box. He was not impressed by the weight and found it bothersome on his wrist.

It was of course, much to my surprise when I saw him wearing a watch on his wrist one autumn day. A simple but elegant watch, complete with a leather strap as he found bracelets cumbersome (as just mentioned).

IWC. Probably not an enthusiast's first choice when picking a dress watch. But he was with his youngest, picking out a watch to celebrate a joyous occassion, when this Portofino caught his eye.

To him it was the perfect tool watch. It tells the time (with a flick of his fingers, he says he can change the time when crossing time zones). It's dressy but versatile (he can wear it daily, but also wear it for important meetings). It's well priced (as in, it's pricey enough for those who know, but also within his spending limit). But above all, for him, it's light. Better than his old Rolex, he says.

And how. The more I see it, the more charm I see in it. Despite its polished finishing and gold plated markers, it does not draw attention to itself. The slightly off-white, egg shell like dial contributes to the muted appearance of the watch too. The case shape is also somewhat plain - like an old pocket watch with lugs attached on to it. At 40mm, it's a pretty good size for a modern dress watch. The beautiful feuille hands are probably the only giveaway that this watch is probably more expensive than it is pretending to be.

Ah, the movement though. He's unhappy with the precision (he did like that about the Superlative Chronometer) but it does not bother him too much. It's reliable and it tells the time well enough after all.

Despite him feigning, it's quite obvious that he too, likes the watch very much. I catch him looking at his wrist more often than I am looking at my own.