Collectors Ingenieur

The Story Behind the Collectors’ Forum Ingenieur

May 2005

It all began in September 2002. I learned, a day before the Collectors’ Meeting, that IWC’s new Ingenieur might not debut until 2005. I knew of the project before then and also knew that a brand-new, in-house movement was in development. I realized that new watch projects often take more than two years, but 2005 seemed like the distant future.

While walking with Georges Kern, IWC’s CEO, during the Collectors Meeting, he told me that the collectors' get-together was really great and he was looking forward to the next one –in 2005! That seemed to me to be a long way away.

In 2003, Jacqueline Rose, who is in charge of Communications at IWC, mentioned that the Ingenieur debut would definitely be scheduled for 2005, and it would be a major event. Thereafter, several other debuts occurred, including the spectacular Press Conference in Monaco with the Cousteau Society in November 2003, followed by the Aquatimer line in 2004. I wasn’t sure what could be done for an encore for the new Ingenieur.

What, then, could be specially done for collectors as part of the announcement of the new Ingenieur? It needed to be something major –enough to allow the watch to arrive with a real bang.

Although with hindsight a special edition watch might seem obvious, it wasn’t a year ago. While small collector groups were at SIHH in Geneva in 2003 and 2004, initially the idea of another major collectors’ meeting in Schaffhausen made sense. However, that had drawbacks, including that any meeting limited participation, both in numbers that could be accommodated and the travel distance required. Moreover, how could IWC out-do itself in the eyes of collectors?

One idea was to preview the new Ingenieur with collectors at a meeting before the actual launch. However, that idea had several problems, including timing. A get-together in Schaffahusen in winter isn’t optimal. Any debut should be coordinated with public announcements and asking people to see a new product but not say anything might be impossible.

It occurred to me that there is nothing more that watch collectors like than watches. Talking about them is one thing, seeing them is another –but owning them is what it’s all about. A special edition inherently is unique: to the collector. Properly done, the watch can create, or at least reaffirm, a bond between its owner and the watch company. It can be something useful, something beautiful, and something distinctive.

During lunch at SIHH in April 2004, I casually raised this idea to a few collectors. I realized that this was “preaching to the choir” but still I wanted to get a knee-jerk reaction. I couldn’t mention then that it would be a new Ingenieur and I had no idea how it would look, how it might be priced, marketed or for that matter anything. Still, the mere idea of a watch exclusive to forum members had an immediate appeal.

While limited editions are not new, the idea made particular sense in the context of the IWC Collectors’ Forum. Here was a unique community with a unique relationship to a premier watch company. Celebrating that relationship with a unique watch was a perfect fit. Moreover, such a project especially made sense in the context of the Ingenieur –a flagship watch that projected the core values of IWC. A special edition here would last longer than a meeting and be more accessible to collectors throughout the world.

Jacqueline Rose was very receptive to the idea and said that she would talk to Georges Kern. I also prepared one of MF’s notoriously “lengthy memos”, detailing the concept and raising issues. While producing a model variation may seem simple, it’s a lot of work.

The concept has to be developed, refined and approved. How many should be made? What should be special about the watch? Will it compete with other products (here, it couldn’t be titanium due to the AMG models)? How much would it cost to produce? How should it be marketed without detracting from the current distribution system?

Even after approval, much more is needed. People from design to production need to be involved. But also people in marketing, finance, communications, and distribution. What may seem easy to consumers requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work.

I learned in June 2004 that Georges Kern preliminarily approved the project. In July, I sent to IWC some design ideas, including a military dial with all Arabic numerals –an idea which never was adopted. That was OK, too –since I was thrilled just that the project was proceeding. At the end of August, I received a memo outlining details. All systems were go!

Then I traveled to Schaffhausen last November, and saw the “regular” Ingenieur but not the Collectors’ Forum model. Concerned, I asked Georges Kern if that meant the project wouldn’t be ready for SIHH in April. He assured me that it wouldn’t be a problem. Still, I had no idea of what the watch would look like.

Fast forward to late Winter, 2005. I learned that the watch would have an “ardois” dial –which was a great decision from my perspective. I also saw a drawing of the caseback engraving –and we debated whether it should say “Collectors’ Forum” or “Collectors Forum”. The former is technically correct, but in everyday use the apostrophe is often deleted. One thing was decided: the back wouldn’t say “Collectors’ Forum Watch”; after all, if it’s not a watch, what is it?

The idea was that the watch would be unveiled to collectors who were invited to attend SIHH. That day was scheduled for Thursday, April 7, which was towards the end of the week. I was concerned that this delay would hurt the debut. After all, the new Ingenieur was previewed on the Internet at the end of February. What if collectors went ahead and ordered the “regular” model? Could it hurt sales of the limited edition?

I didn’t care about sales from an economic perspective –but I didn’t want to throw a party where nobody came. In fact, I talked to IWC staff members just before SIHH and expressed my concern that there might not be a quick sell-out. 100 watches still is a lot of watches –and the Ingenieur doesn’t just cost “pocket change”.

I was terribly wrong. The announcement at SIHH was a great success. Pius Brida, IWC’s product manager, began by showing a 34mm watch, and explaining that it had a quartz movement (at least one collector was that gullible). But then the watch was received almost with awe. As well it should –the slate grey dial was distinctive. It softens the watch; it gave it a special class; it gave it élan. The personalized engravings made it once in a lifetime watch.

The watch wasn’t unveiled on the Internet for another four days. But the rumors of those four days, stemming from the meeting at SIHH, were sufficient marketing. Within a few days, applications to own the watch way exceeded the supply of 100. The watch –unseen in person by most applicants—was an overwhelming success. All my fears that it might be a “slow sell” evaporated.

I was thrilled. Here was a project that started with an idea and took off. IWC embraced, developed and actualized that idea. But this wasn’t a mere abstraction: it gave some tangible, something special, something great back to collectors. To my thinking, it was the epitome of four years of developing the Collectors’ Forum. A community had been developed, crossing international boundaries. We all shared something very special, and the Collectors’ Forum Ingenieur is the symbol of that.

It also is a symbol of the value that IWC places upon its collectors. Georges Kern, Pius Brida, Jacqueline Rose --and many others-- share this vision. I recently met with Georges Kern, who was especially pleased how our collectors’ community embraced this watch. I told him that we could have sold at least several hundred more –all we needed was a little marketing.

But now one real problem remains: what in the world can we do for an encore?