SPIRIT & STYLE

IWC has expanded with new boutiques across Dubai, KSA, and Qatar, among others. What does this expansion mean for the brand? Indeed, we have started to engage in the retailization of our business by opening several boutiques in key cities across the region. We aim to bring the IWC Schaffhausen global experience by being locally relevant in each market and offering a seamless omnichannel approach across all touchpoints. We aim to open several more boutiques in the near future.

The brand recently unveiled four new military-style Top Gun Pilot’s Watch models at the Watches and Wonders exhibition. What are your thoughts on this latest collection? At Watches and Wonders 2022, we introduced our latest material innovation in the Top Gun family: the colored ceramics divided into 5 unique colors patented by Pantone. We reintroduced the Mojave Desert Big Pilot Automatic and Perpetual Calendar as well as the Chronograph pieces in white ceramic Lake Tahoe or in green ceramic Woodland. Our jet black ceramic will also be featured in the Big Pilot 43mm for the pleasure of our collectors. Innovation is at the core of our brand. Our latest development in material innovation has been the introduction of Ceratanium®, an in-house alloy combining the lightness of titanium with the durability of ceramic. The Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar in Ceratanium® is the first IWC watch with a full Ceratanium® bracelet fully integrated into the case. Limited to 250 pieces per year, these timepieces have been massively acknowledged by our clients and highly successful in the luxury watch community.

Do you have a favorite collection in the Maison’s portfolio? This is a very hard question. Each of the watches in my collection have a specific personal story whether it’s a Pilot Top Gun Chronograph or a Portofino Automatic. But the watch that I wear the most is probably the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar red gold single moon phase. This timepiece showcases the incredible engineering of the unique Perpetual Calendar invented by Kurt Klaus with the extraordinary design and history of the Portugieser family. Every watch collector or enthusiast should have one IWC Perpetual Calendar in his collection.

IWC announced in February the multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as the 2022 Brand Ambassadors. What are some of the goals of the partnership? The partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team was initiated several years ago. The synergies between the two organizations are evident - we share the same mindset. Formula 1 racing and watchmaking are very much alike: the obsession for perfection, for reliable and ultra precise engineering coupled with an acute sense of design. The combination of form and function, of performance and design and innovation are at the center of our partnership. In addition watchmaking, similar to Formula 1 racing, is all about team effort. Success is achieved from a team coming together for a common and clear goal.

Even if you have incredible drivers like Lewis or George, they are supported by a full team of engineers, on and off the track, making sure that all wheels are in motion. No wonder the dress code in the garage is an IWC watch only!

Where do you think the watch industry is going in 10 years’ time? It’s extremely challenging to predict how the industry will evolve given the level of uncertainty and the pace of change. The only certainty is that change is inevitable but we witness few trends that I think are here to stay. Client experience has become the defining paradigm that influence and trigger the purchase decision. It’s all about personalizing the customer journey and being relevant across all touchpoints. Retail is evolving very fast and brick and mortar is essential to materialize brand expression. But there is a necessary evolution of the retail experience in order to bring value to the buying journey. Whether through phygital or omnichannel, the essence is to adapt our brand expression and convey it to our clients. The perfect example is the recently launched IWC Flagship boutique at The Dubai Mall.

When you enter the boutique, you enter a world of immersive experience dedicated to our clients. Customers can have a coffee at The Big Pilot bar while discovering the collection and even experience the 360 cinematic screen and lounge to watch the latest Formula 1 race or virtually interact with our watchmakers in Schaffhausen. The most relevant brands will be the ones who manage to be disruptive, propose a different client experience while remaining true to their DNA and core values.

Are there any new developments that we can look forward to from IWC in the coming year? You can expect many new developments in the coming years: from new movements being introduced to innovative design and material, from unprecedented immersive boutique concepts to new ways of communicating with our clients.

IWC Schaffhausen is an extremely dynamic and agile brand with one single objective: being a leader in the luxury watchmaking industry.