Impressions of the new IWC Book -Part 1

I don’t yet have a full copy of the new book, IWC Schaffhausen,
Engineering Time since 1868 in my possession, so I can’t fully review it. However, I have spent some time thumbing through the book and also reading various materials about it. My bottom-line conclusion is simple: BUY IT. It is a “must have” for every fan of IWC.

The book has something for everyone and is a huge compilation, with over 500 pages of information about IWC. It does not contain all of the technical details that some collectors might want. It is not a compendium of new technical information uncovered in the archives, new lists of serial numbers, etc. Still, it is a huge book and everyone will find some new information in it.

Some of the journalists attending the press event called it an “image book.” By that I don’t think that they meant the book was “fluff,” but really was trying to present an image of what IWC is today, based upon what it was in the past and might be in the future. Its purpose, in a very real sense, is to communicate the image of IWC. There is nothing wrong with that – on the contrary, the book does an effective job because it is based primarily on the history of IWC and the product families of IWC today.

The book has an unusual “book within a book.” There are short stories written by the famous author Paulo Coelho regarding each product line. Those are illustrated by a French artist primarily known as a cartoonist, Enki Bilal. The idea here is unique, and certainly makes the book something more than just another watch company’s book about its products. It makes a connection between IWC and fine art, which in itself is commendable. It also appeals to a broader audience.

I have not had the ability nor time to read Coelho’s stories. Works-for-Hire always raise question whether they are the same as an “unchannelled” literary work. But I can tell you that the reading is good. Here are a few excerpts:

“Where did you get that great watch?”
“My grandfather gave it to me.”
He pushed up the sleeve of his jacket and showed the friends gathered around him that he, too, had a watch, it was quite different from theirs, but probably just as valuable.
A couple of German tourists who had got off the bus appeared to have been listening to the conversation although it seemed unlikely that they would understand what was being said. And even if they did, what did it matter? He wasn’t going to do anything wrong. or was he?

In another sentence later on:

“And the slow glittering dance of sunlight on the watch transported him to an imagery world of mermaids, pirates and treasures, a world that he hoped to discover for himself as soon as he was old enough to leave home.”

(continued in part 2)

Impressions of the new IWC Book -Part 2

(continued from Part 1)

I have mixed feelings, however, about the artistry of the French cartoonist Enki Bilai I did end up in a debate with one IWC executive from France, who thinks the art was great and that the artist is worthy of a museum. Candidly, I think it is a notch below the fine art quality needed, although the drawings are not-unattractive. I am not sure that they convey fully the quality of Coelho’s literary richness.

The “book within a book” concept is interesting, but I am wondering how many people will read the stories and spend much time on the drawings. The book is large and much more like a coffee table book, which doesn’t lend itself to easy prose reading. Still, the endeavor makes the book stand out as something special, and one that appeals to many audiences.

Part One of the book involves the history of the IWC, and is well written and documented. One of the most intriguing items for me, at least, was the pages showing advertisements, catalogs, etc. IWC went around looking for items that printed ephemera, and many of the covers and certain of the pages are shown. I believe that collectors, in particular, will like seeing them, because they do document the company.

Part Two of the book is about IWC today, and shows good photos of the factory, etc. It also emphasizes some of IWC’s commission performances, such as those by John Malkovich and Cate Blanchett. The book is so current that it even includes a photo of the Hong Kong flagship boutique.

The central parts of the book are the pages about the watch families of IWC. Much of the photographs here are interesting, although there is not a technical emphasis. Still there are special drawings and there will be information available for every collector.

At the very end of the book there are pages about IWC’s movements, including specifications. Much of this has been published previously, in either WATCH International, and also certainly in this forum. However, having this as part of the book does provide useful information.

There are collectors, at least those with insatiable appetites for technical or historical detail, who would want even more. Given the number of audiences that this book was intended to appeal to, and its huge size and number of pages, that can’t be expected. All in all, this book is a great addition to any IWC collector’s library. In that sense, I cannot recommend it enough. Order it – now.

Regards,
Michael

Thank you Michael

excellent review a real must have as you said.

Best reagrds
Argiris

thanks for this additional info! Looking forward!

Thanks for your review!

Greetings, Martijn

Thank you MF (nt)

Keeps getting better-Thank you Michael!

Cheers from Isobars.

I'm impressed! Looks very interesting,

and thanks, MF, for whetting my appetite.

Looks like a literary effort...

to which we can all look forward! Thank you Michael for your reviews/previews. It appears it is going to be an "IWC Summer" for me (and how cool is that?)!

Best regards,
Jim

Looks and sounds great! Thanks for the preview.

Michael, does the book contain

any biographical information about more recent persons from IWC ?
For example Gunther Blumlein?

Thanks for Your assessment, Michael.

Looks great, mine is on order too! nt

I don't recall...

...keep in mind that I don't yet have a copy, and was only able to spend little time with it, I think there is a little --but not much.

Also, keep in mind that not many of the people today at IWC are "old-timers" that were at the company during the Bluemlein era. I can only think of a few, and none that are in Communcations/Marketing. Even I'm a dinosaur!

Regards,
Michael

Thanks Michael--It Looks Great!..& Choice of.....

watch for cover shot meets my approval too...,-)

Looking forward to this one.

-Joe

The Big Pilot ...

The Big Pilot is actually not part of the cover, it's loose and can be removed (look at how the "strap" covers part of the text on the book's spine).

The Hong Kong press asked why they picked that particular watch, but there was no specific reason given.

Perhaps they added it this way so that it can be changed / updated over the years, without having to reprint the cover?

In any case, it's a fantastic book. Make sure your coffee tables are sturdy enough, it genuinely is a massive tome.

Adds to shopping cart! Thanks Michael.

Impressions on impressions, on impressions

This seems to be quite an interesting book, based on the few shots of it shown here. I would go for the watch related items, like the watch families, the factory, the technical explanations. Of course, when showing the watches themselves, certainly the newest models, the book will grow out of time eventually, but that is inevitable, and not a real problem to me.

I just cannot understand why stories of Mr. Coelho are included. What I read here doesn't strike me as special, what I read elsewhere, and the interviews with him I saw and read, did make my toes curl a bit. On the drawings I saw, I agree with Michael in a way: they are not Art with a big A, but why should they have to be? But what I saw here made it a bit difficult to connect to. Is the artist trying to depict an IWC lifestyle? Kind of fantasy about it? All these young model type of people shown, well, they are not us to me.

I like the preview based on the book not being read. It reminds me a bit of Schopenhauer who wrote in the introduction of his masterwork what people could do with it, after buying it and finding it difficult. First, you could fill a gap in your library with it, looking beautiful there. Second, you could try to impress a lady friend by putting it on a tee (coffee) table. And third, and Schopenhauer really advised to this, was to write a review on it.

I am looking forward to the book.

Kind regards,
Paul, wearing steel VC Portuguese