Timepiece de resistance

With man’s predilection for making statements of personal status and taste through possessions and accessories, the watch has taken on a dimension beyond its function of telling time. Unlike clocks, which essentially hang on a wall or are placed on a mantelpiece, the watch is worn on one’s body and becomes an extension of one’s personality. Fashion, strength, reliability, competence, modernity, non-conformity, these are just some of the various signifiers we attach to our choice of wristwatch. And in this arena, the IWC watch stands as a technological marvel; a watch that refuses to bend to trends or the vagaries of taste. Institutionalized as the "engineer of watches," the "Formula One of watch-making," IWC proudly remains faithful to its traditional mechanical watches. Established in 1868, IWC timepieces have been owned by historical luminaries such as Sir Winton Churchill, Dr. Carl Jung (who probably glanced at his pocket watch before saying, "Your hour is up!"), and modern-day hero Michael Jordan (who could have used the GST Split-Seconds Chronograph Sports watch to time his "Air Highness" lateral dunks).

Kurt Klaus, head of development and design at IWC International Watch Co. Schaffhausen, was in town recently while on a tour of the Asian region. After completing his training as a watchmaker in the French-speaking part of Switzerland 43 years ago, Kurt joined the repair department of this prestigious Schaffhausen watch factory. Located close to the German/Swiss border, the IWC company premises have been home to Kurt ever since. He’s responsible for the design and prototype of new movements and watch complications, and is called the "Spiritual Father of the Da Vinci watch" – an automatic chronograph with an entirely new type of programmed perpetual calendar. Launched on the market in 1985, the Da Vinci is still one of IWC’s best-selling models. Their latest product is the Portuguese Automatic 2000. In the Philippines, IWC watches are exclusively distributed by Lucerne Jewelers.

One forgives Kurt for being biased about the merits of IWC over other makes of watches. After 43 years as a respected craftsman in his field, he knows from whereof he speaks. For him, his utterances are objective truths, no matter how unpopular or confrontational. "Quartz watches did make an impact in the ’70s on the sale and production of ‘true’ timepieces. They did work and they were very affordable," Kurt says, basically downplaying their worth from his rarefied level of watch-making. "But they’re inferior watch movements, created by robots; not of high quality." Other brands have their merits but pale in comparison with the mechanical complications of his "babies." The mechanisms of Rolex watches are "not as specialized for complications." While the perpetual calendar and lunar face of his Da Vinci watch has been copied and recreated in "discount" form, the internal mechanisms of such bootlegs leave much to be desired. It would seem they’re all form, with no true substance.

Kurt’s area of expertise is function, the internal aspect of the watches; however, he acknowledges that the form and styling of the watch is essential to its commercial viability. "We have an art design team that works hand-in-hand with my department. While the Da Vinci line has some Ladies’ models, IWC does not generally produce separate lines for women. But funnily enough, an Austrian watch magazine bestowed one of our Portuguese chronograph models the honor of being their ladies’ watch for last year." I guess there’s just no substitute for quality.

The emphasis at IWC is on replicating exacting standards. Unlike some of their competition in the industry, IWC is among the select groups that downplay numerical production. "Only 40,000 timepieces came out of Schaffhausen last year. Of these, about 200 were pocket watches. While no longer in vogue, these pocket watches are continuously produced as they form a primary element in the history of timepiece making and this we have to preserve. Who knows? Just as they were extremely popular in the late ’70s, they may all of a sudden be in demand again and we’ll be ready."

Kurt made mention of the fact that while IWC could build up their production with the required machines, instruments and facilities, finding the qualified personnel to man this build up would be problematic. "There is an in-house watchmaker’s school at IWC that takes four years to complete but only four apprentices are accepted each year. It’s a rigorous course that I characterize as ‘few are called, and even fewer are chosen,’" Kurt quips.

The owner profile for IWC watches is very select. He or she must be a strong individual, assured and confident with a specialized lifestyle, and appreciative of the workmanship that’s put in every watch. The sports line is one that’s envied by other watchmakers. The pricing entry level of IWC is in the $1,800 range; and some catalog models go up to $20,000. As Kurt recalled, "One truly avid owner even had his watches customized; one model in three versions – platinum, gold and red gold, all encrusted with diamonds – costing him close to a $l,000,000 per watch." Thank God the client wasn’t from the Philippines, or I’d have gladly twisted Kurt’s arm to spill all!

"Our GST sports watch line is also now a cornerstone of our reputation. One model has a depth meter that is unparalleled in wristwatches of this type and the funny thing is I’ve spoken to several owners of this model who don’t even dive! They read of the feature and just had to own the watch."

I’ve noticed these IWC watches on the wrists of Jaime Augusto Zobel and Ben Chan. They’re in fine company as I’ve also seen photos of Sylvester Stallone and Michael Wong proving they’re possessors of these timepieces. Kurt confidently states that while IWC is proud of its roster of patrons, they’re not the kind of company that would seek publicity or promotional value by having celebrities endorse their products. They’re a conservative bunch steeped in the tradition they’re bringing into the new century. They take advantage of the new technology, but only to the extent that it can enhance or aid the craftsmanship needed to produce these "mechanical marvels." At the end of the day, it’s the quiet watches themselves that will make the loudest statements.