In Conversation with Kurt Klaus-the Watchmaking Missionary of IWC

p/p pstrongWhat made you stay with IWC?/strong/p pOur manufacture in Schaffhausen always felt like home to me. I am extremely glad I had the opportunity to work in such a great environment, so I never really wanted to leave IWC.br /br /strongYouandrsquo;ve been with IWC for close to 60 years. How does it feel when you visit the ateliers now?/strong/p pThere are two different ateliers in Schaffhausen. One manufactures the parts, and the other actually manufactures the watches. As far as the part-making goes, itandrsquo;s really different today, because a lot of parts are made with the help of machines. I still remember the day we got our first computer-controlled milling machineandmdash;what an experience that was! The watchmaking, on the other hand, has remained virtually unchanged since then. When I see a watchmaker today, it feels like I am looking at myself sitting there 60 years ago.br /br /strongYou are regarded as a watchmaking andldquo;missionaryandrdquo; of the brand. Tell us about these experiences./strong/p pUntil 1999, I was one of only very few developers at IWC, so my name became quite well known. After my successors took over, I started to concentrate more on storytelling and establishing relationships with journalists and customers. People seem to like the stories I have to tell about my work for IWC, but also about mybr /experiences in the watch industry. I am grateful that this gives me the opportunity to travel around the world and meet so many interesting people./p pandnbsp;/p p style="text-align: center;"andnbsp;/p p style="text-align: center;"/p p style="text-align: center;"emPilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph/em/p p style="text-align: center;"embr //em/p pstrongHas progress in technology made it easier to develop watches?/strong/p pIn the beginning of my career, we used the drawing board every day. Then, in 1987, I started to work with computers. I really love those machines. They donandrsquo;t make thebr /development process any easier, but definitely more comfortable. I usually say: A computer is nothing but a tool and is not (yet) able to invent something.br /br /strongFor someone who is new to the world of IWC, which watch would you recommend?/strong/p pIWC Schaffhausen has six different product families, for example the elegant Portofino, the sporty Aquatimer or the classic Portugieser. Some of our watchesbr /feature haute horlogerie complications like a tourbillon or a minute repeater. If you want to buy your first timepiece, I would recommend a classic and not-too complicatedbr /watch, maybe from the Portofino or Portugieser collections.br /br /strongIt is well known that you invented the legendary IWC Perpetual Calendar, which took endless hours to conceptualise, design and bring to life. How does it feel to know that itandrsquo;s just as popular today, as it was back then?/strong/p pIt makes me very proud to see thatandmdash;after almost 30 years and with only very slight modificationsandmdash;a mechanism like the IWC Perpetual Calendar is still highly successful and sought after in the marketplace. This shows how exceptional it really is.br /br /strongTell us about the new collection. Which is your favourite watch?/strong/p pAt this yearandrsquo;s SIHH in Geneva, we launched the new Pilotandrsquo;s Watches collection. If I had to pick a favourite from it, then maybe it would be the Pilotandrsquo;s Watch andlsquo;Timezonerandrsquo;./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongMore On andgt;andgt; a href="http://www.luxpresso.com/watches" target="_blank"Watches/a/strong/p

from Luxpresso http://www.luxpresso.com/news-watches/an-interview-with-kurt-klaus-of-iwc/16052457
via Your #1 Source to Finding Luxury & Designer Goods, Handbags & Clothes at or Below Wholesale: Click Here.