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Vogue Singapore
5 days ago
- Science
- Vogue Singapore
How IWC is turning its "most brilliant failure" into a modern icon
Those in business tend not to enjoy failure. So it might surprise you to know that the IWC Ingenieur, which saw a big focus this year from the Schaffhausen manufacture, was once dubbed a failure by the brand. Fair caveat: the exact phrasing is 'most brilliant failure'. Here's how the story goes. In the 1950s, after the end of the war, the world was at a turning point. The Space Race was soon to come, technology was making leapfrog progress, and certain occupations, as a result, became valorised. Engineers, technicians, physicists, chemists and doctors were among these men of progress, who were shaping the tools and technologies that would guide the world for years to come. Courtesy of IWC So in 1955, IWC Schaffhausen designed and introduced a timepiece targeted at these men. The original Ingenieur—that's both German and French for 'engineer'—from 1955 was powered by the brand's first in-house automatic winding movement. It came with a distinct feature: an antimagnetic soft-iron inner case so that the delicate timekeeping components wouldn't be upset by the professional activities of engineers or scientists. Fast forward to the 1970s and we encounter the Ingenieur in its recognisable modern form. The brand commissioned a little-known watch designer by the name of Gérald Genta to give its timepiece a facelift. In 1976, IWC released the Ingenieur SL—the archetype of this collection as we know it today. Retooled with five recessed screws on the bezel, an integrated H-link bracelet and a full-steel construction, it was IWC's hat in the ring around the time the luxury steel sports watch category was being invented. IWC's lineup of 40mm Ingenieur Automatic models gets new materials this year like lustrous 5N gold and black ceramic. Courtesy of IWC But the Ingenieur had been designed for and marketed towards such a specific niche that it, perhaps unsurprisingly with hindsight, never found mass appeal. In its history, IWC had only produced and sold little more than 1,000 pieces. Only later did it become a cult collector's favourite, a sought-after nugget of horological history for those in the know. That's precisely how it earned its moniker as IWC's 'most brilliant failure', a bon mot that the brand has gamely embraced. And what an embrace. Just two years ago, IWC set about relaunching and reintroducing the Ingenieur collection in what might be its most definitive contemporary form. This year, it's introducing vital additions to the collection. The Ingenieur, a typically steel sports model, debuts black ceramic. Courtesy of IWC Key among them is the Ingenieur Automatic 42mm model that's the first in the line to be crafted in full black ceramic. It applies a luxury level of finishing normally found on steel or gold—a mix of brushed, sandblasted and polished edges—to ceramic, a kind of hyper-contemporary material. The Ingenieur collection sees its first perpetual calendar model this year in a 41mm stainless steel model. Courtesy of IWC This year also sees the introduction of the first complication to the modern collection, in the form of the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41. The choice of a perpetual calendar won't come as too much of a surprise for connoisseurs of IWC: 1980s head watchmaker Kurt Klaus was a pioneer in elegantly simplifying the manufacture of this horological complication. The Ingenieur also gets far more universal this year with a new range of models in a 35mm case size. This rolls out with three references: full steel with either a silver or black dial, and full 5N gold with a matching gold-coloured dial. The core line-up of 40mm models, previously offered in either full steel or titanium, also welcomes its first model in full 5N gold. Ingenieur Automatic 35 in stainless steel, $14,500 Courtesy of IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 in stainless steel, $14,500 Courtesy of IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 in stainless steel, $52,600 Courtesy of IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 in 5N gold, $53,600 Courtesy of IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 5N gold, $66,100 Courtesy of IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in stainless steel with a green dial, $18,300, limited to 1,000 pieces Courtesy of IWC But what IWC is no doubt looking forward to is an upcoming cultural moment that will put its Ingenieur on the big screens. F1 , the film directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, is the summer blockbuster that's shaping up to be the most loving and accurate render of the sport of Formula One so far. Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a former race car driver who is coaxed out of retirement to join the fictional IWC-sponsored APXGP racing team. The brand has created a collection of high-performance models inspired by the film, but the one that has caught the most attention so far is an Ingenieur that Pitt was seen wearing while filming. The 1,000-piece limited edition Ingenieur Automatic 40 with a green dial, inspired by a bespoke IWC watch worn by Brad Pitt in this summer's F1 the Movie blockbuster. Courtesy of IWC What the actor had on his wrist was, in fact, a prop watch based on the original Genta Ingenieur SL Automatic Ref. 1832 from IWC's archive and customised with a green dial. Perhaps anticipating some level of fervour, the brand has smartly released it as a limited edition Ingenieur Automatic 40 with a green dial and gold appliqués, with just 1,000 pieces. The Vogue Man 2025 'Gold' issue is available online and at newsstands.
South China Morning Post
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Style Edit: At Watches and Wonders 2025, IWC Schaffhausen dropped Pilot's Watch models tied to Brad Pitt's movie F1, as well as other Pilot's Watch and Ingenieur variants
IWC Schaffhausen delivered just what every fan of the elegant, technically sophisticated Swiss luxury watch brand desired at Watches and Wonders 2025 : stunning new updates to two of its most storied and coveted series – the Ingenieur and Pilot's Watch collections. IWC Schaffhausen brand ambassador Eileen Gu at Watches and Wonders on April 1. The Ingenieur collection first saw the light of day in the 1950s, but it was reborn in the 70s with an eye-catching design featuring a trademark integrated bracelet, the work of horological legend Gérald Genta. In 2023, that classic look was revived via the Ingenieur Automatic 40. Now, the same ergonomic profile is available in an even wider range of sizes and materials. Advertisement Creating the IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic 40. Photo: Handout The Ingenieur Automatic 35 brings new slimline dimensions to the collection, at just 35mm across and 9.44mm thick. It's available in three versions, one of which is made of gold, from the case to the dial and the bracelet. IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic 35 with silver-plated dial. Photo: Handout For the more sizeable wrist, meanwhile, there's the Ingenieur Automatic 42, with a case, dial and bracelet made from black ceramic. Both show off all the signature Ingenieur touches, from the integrated bracelet, to the five screws positioned around the bezel, to the grid-patterned dial. Also on show at Watches and Wonders were an all-gold rendition of the Ingenieur Automatic 40, plus the new Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41. IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic 42. Photo: Handout There's no collection more synonymous with IWC Schaffhausen than the much-loved Pilot's Watch, which has even deeper roots than the Ingenieur, stretching all the way back to the 1930s. Some of the most compelling newest additions to the collection, however, have a distinctly contemporary source of inspiration: the forthcoming movie F1, which stars Brad Pitt as a motorsport legend who comes out of retirement to mentor a young star.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
F.P. Journe Watch Fetches $238,400 At Sotheby's ‘Area_51' Auction
F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu Byblos limited edition tantalum watch sold for 203,200 CHF The F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu Byblos, circa 2015, a limited edition tantalum semi-skeletonized watch was the top lot in a special UFO-themed auction held by Sotheby's in Geneva, titled 'Area_51.' It fetched 203,200 Swiss Francs ($238,425). The web-like blue and gold dial is housed in a 40mm case made of tantalum, a very hard, ductile, lustrous, blue-gray transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is powered by the 1304 manual winding caliber. The watch was one of 51 lots in the sale held at Salle Trocmé, an event space in the city. The live auction held April 3 totaled 1.4 million Swiss francs (more than $1.6 million) with 42 of the 51 lots sold. The Toledano & Chan b-2 Prototype, created for the Area_51 auction sold for 20,320 CHF The watches represent the latter half of the 20th century into the present day. The majority of the watches were from the 1960s and '70s, however, there were plenty more recent models and two new watches created for the event: A Furlan Marri piece that is a unique variation of its Disco Volante series that features a tantalum case, marking the first time the brand used this metal. It fetched 16,510 Swiss francs ($19,370), besting its high estimate. The other piece is a Toledano & Chan watch with a unique take on its trademark architectural watch designs. It fetched 20,320 Swiss francs ($23,843), well above its high estimate. Other top lots in the sale are as follows: Cartier Crash '13 Rue de la Paix' sold for 186,839 CHF A Cartier Crash '13 Rue de la Paix', Reference 2774, a limited edition white gold and diamond-set wristwatch, circa 2006. It fetched 165,100 Swiss francs ($193,720). Gérald Genta platinum and diamond-set minute repeating wristwatch sold for 127,000 CHF A Gérald Genta reference G.4036, circa 1990, a unique platinum and diamond-set minute repeating wristwatch with bracelet and mother-of-pearl dial. It fetched 127,000 Swiss francs ($149,000). Audemars Piguet Concept CW1 sold for 114,300 CHF An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'CW1,' Reference A limited edition alacrite and titanium tourbillon wristwatch with power reserve indicator, dynamograph and function selector, circa 2005. Buyers from Europe represented half of all the buyers in the sale, followed by buyers from the USA (23%), Asia (19%), Middle East (8%). The auction followed an exhibition of the pieces culminating in a party held at Salle Trocmé on April 2 where all the 51 watches were on display in a room filled with artificial smoke, lighting and music that evokes the UFO theme of the sale. Many of the watches were displayed under a plastic canopy. Sotheby's auctioneer Jonny Fowle during the Sotheby's Area_51 live sale showcasing UFO-like ... More avant-garde vintage Watches This is the second consecutive year Sotheby's Geneva is holding a special thematic auction of watches in collaboration with the creative watch collective, heist-out. The sale coincides with the Watches and Wonders horology fair in Geneva, held April 1 -7. The latest event follows 'Rough Diamonds,' an exhibition and auction of unconventional avant-garde timepieces held in April 2024 inside a wine cave in Geneva, also during Watches and Wonders. Both sales by Sotheby's were in collaboration with heist-out, a Geneva-based creative agency specializing in watchmaking, founded by Maxime Couturier and Lorenzo Maillard. The idea of these thematic sales is to attract younger collectors to auctions. It seems to be having a positive effect as Sotheby's says that nearly a third of all buyers participating in the sale were under 40 and 26% were new to Sotheby's. 'This year the activation was even more ambitious, offering watch lovers and collectors alike pieces inspired by outer space or as unique as UFOs,' said Manon Hagie, head of Sale for Area_51. 'The theme clearly chimed with dozens of international committed bidders, with nearly forty per cent of them bidding from the USA, despite the uncertainty about newly announced tariffs. A sign that the market is continuing to show some resistance to risk when the watches are truly exceptional.'
