Last evening both Alan (lndbir) and I had the honor to be invited by IWC to the “Portuguese” Cocktail Dinner at the Halle Sё,,,cheron in Geneva. This is the big kick off affair for the introduction of the new Portuguese line. Over 650 invited guest (mostly IWC customers, Executives and the Press) were treated to a viewing of the new Portuguese lineup as well as a demonstration of sextants and other navigation instruments that were vital to early explorers who used the sky to navigate the oceans. It was the invention of an accurate chronometer that allowed sailors to accurately calculate longitude. The new Portuguese line pays homage to the tradition of accuracy and precision demanded of ancient and modern day timepieces.
To give you a taste of the evening I am including some selected pictures from the evening and will post more in a linked album later today. The evening started with Alan and me joining IWC executives and sales staff at the end of their own cocktail hour before being loaded into a bus for the short trip over to the Halle. As you entered the venue you were greeted by a phalanx of photographers seeking out the celebrities who were in attendance. Needless to say, neither Alan nor I were stopped for a photo op, nor were we asked for an autograph. The front of the hall included several stations where you were given instructions on the use of a sextant and other instruments of navigation. Surrounding these were a few display vitrines with the new Portuguese introductions. The lighting in the Halle was very difficult so please enjoy the watch photos as they are. I took a couple of wrist shots, as you will see. One shows Hannes Pantli wearing the Portuguese Tourbillon and the other is MF wearing the new DaVinci Collector Forum Watch.
At the cocktail hour we meet and talked with Herr and Frau Klaus, Herr Hannes Pantli, and Allain Zimmermann, the CEO of Baum and Mercier, previously with IWC. MF, our gracious host, also took time to introduce us all around the hall. The next phase of the evening started with dinner excellently prepared and served by a Munich catering company. Prior to the first course Herr Georges Kern introduced key guests and made a very special ovation to the Asian customers in attendance. Obviously this part of the world market performed very well in 2009. The next item of the dinner presentation was an outstanding short film starring Hollywood actor Jean Reno. That short film should be posted on the Forum, I believe. The entertainment after dinner was by Nils Landgren, one of the most successful European jazz artists, and his band, “Funk Unit”.
Pictures and comments to follow in 8 parts.
Bill
