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IWC Opens New NYC Boutique

IWC has opened its new flagship boutique on Madison Avenue in New York City just a few blocks uptown from its previous location. Now at 645 Madison Avenue at the corner of 60th Street, the new boutique is larger and offers a wider range of amenities and customer experiences. These include a fully transparent watchmaker atelier, a product test lab display and the Portugieser individualization service.

Drawing inspiration from its surroundings, the boutique blends Swiss engineering and fine watchmaking with New York City style. Large floor-to-ceiling windows allow a clear view into the 2,357-square-foot boutique, which features a black and white color scheme. Customers can explore all IWC collections.

On a central display, the collections are shown alongside different modules, highlighting IWC’s expertise in colored ceramics, chronographs, and case engineering.

The inner workings of the IWC-manufactured 52000 caliber automatic movement and the Pellaton winding system are also explained with the help of large models. A separate fine watchmaking exhibition showcases complex complications. In one example, customers can see the newly introduced Portugieser collection, including the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701) with a moon accuracy of 45 million years.

The inner workings of the IWC-manufactured 52000 caliber automatic movement and the Pellaton winding system are also explained with the help of large models. A separate fine watchmaking exhibition showcases complex complications. Displays also highlight IWC’s expertise in colored ceramics, chronographs, and case engineering.

And, for the first time, IWC will feature a watchmaker atelier at the front of the boutique. Visitors can observe the artisan skills of an IWC watchmaker working on IWC-manufactured movements. In addition, a product test lab station showcases selected steps of IWC’s various product testing procedures.

A lounge and a cafe are also available, with the lounge suitable for VIP and private events and a bar that doubles as a space for watchmaking classes.

Finally, IWC introduces a strap configurator for Portugieser, Pilot’s Watch and Portofino models together with Manufacture Jean Rousseau. Each strap is fully customizable from materials, colors, linings, stitching and even optional engravings to suit individual preferences.

The opening of the Madison Avenue IWC flagship boutique comes shortly after the grand opening of the Rodeo Drive flagship boutique opening in Beverly Hills, making it the fifth flagship globally.

“After 12 years in our first Madison Avenue Boutique, we are pleased to move to our new home at 645 Madison Avenue, at the corner of 60th and Madison. This new concept truly represents the DNA of IWC, which reflects modernity while putting craftsmanship and engineering at the center of everything we do. We cannot wait to welcome our customers, watch enthusiasts, and the watch curious to talk and learn about our watches and longstanding heritage,” says Stanislas Rambaud, IWC Brand President USA.

The new IWC flagship boutique is located at 645 Madison Avenue and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Source: IWC Schaffhausen

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The Watches

Louis Vuitton Teams With Frank Gehry for Sapphire Stunner

Louis Vuitton added ‘watch designer’ to the already impressive list of accomplishments by renowned architect Frank Gehry.

The new Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poincon de Geneve Sapphire Frank Gehry.

The new Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry is the result of a collaboration with Gehry and Louis Vuitton, which adds the watch to its High Watchmaking collection.

The stunning 48.3mm flying tourbillon watch is made with a clear sapphire case, dial, crown, lugs and hands. With its transparent architecture, the wearer has an uninterrupted view of the flying tourbillon caliber, produced and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Gehry was inspired by his own work at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul when creating the new watch. For example, the dial echoes Gehry’s rippling glass structure atop the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul. Like that structure, which appears to float over the roof of the building, the dial on the watch also is meant to recall the airiness of the nautical world.

“My inspiration comes from the sea, fish, boats, the nautical world, because they embody the notion of movement, mobility, speed,” said Gehry.“I like to express movement, inject this energy and dynamic into static materials.”

Louis Vuitton explains the its artisans crafted the crystalline face of the watch from a single 200-kilo block of sapphire. With 250-hours of work required to complete just the dial, the project was one of the most ever made by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

The watchmaker’s dial artisans used medical tools to create the asymmetric forms and curves to echo many of Gehry’s architectural projects.

The Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire, which is the first watch with a sapphire dial and case to bear the Poinçon de Genève seal, is fitted with manufacture flying tourbillon LFT MM05.01. The rose-gold-bridged movement is entirely visible thanks to the full sapphire case and dial. (See below for full technical specifications).

Price: $935,000.

Specifications: Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry

(Limited edition of five pieces)

Case:

• Case, lugs and crown in sapphire
• Frank Gehry’s signature engraved on the case-back • 43.8 mm diameter
• 11.27 mm thickness
• Anti-reflection sapphire crystal
• Water-resistant to 30 meters

Dial:

• Sapphire, polished and mattified by hand, inspired by Frank Gehry’s architectural works

• Sapphire hands, outline in HyCeram Luminex (luminescent pigments)

Movement:

• Caliber LFTMM05.01: mechanical movement with manual winding developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton

  • “Poinçon de Genève” certification, visible on the central bridge
  • Functions: skeleton flying tourbillon, hours and minutes, Monogram flower tourbillon cage rotating in one minute
  • 160 components
  • 80 hours of power reserve
  • 21,600 vibrations per hour
  • 17 jewels

Strap:  White taurillon leather strap  with a rose gold folding buckle.

Price: $935,000.

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The Watches

Citizen Expands Promaster with New World Timer

Citizen celebrates the 35th Anniversary of its adventure-focused Promaster collection with a new watch and a new light-powered movement.

The new Citizen Promaster Geo Trekker

The all-new Promaster Geo Trekker Eco Drive model is a world timer and the latest model within the feature-filled Promaster series of radio-controlled watches.

Citizen debuts new Cal. H864 movement in the new watch. Named for the 86,400 seconds in one day, the new light-powered quartz movement can display times in cities across the globe.  Accurate to ±15 seconds per month, the caliber will operate of 2.5 years on a full charge (in power save mode).

To emphasize the new watch’s world time display capabilities, Citizen places an image of the Northern Hemisphere on the black and white dial within its own rotating UTC disc at the 6 o’clock position. When the disc aligns with the outer ring’s list of cities. the approximate time in that Northern Hemisphere city will be visible.

For the new watch, Citizen has made the minute hand larger than those found on earlier Promaster watches. The minute hand, hour hand, and indices also feature more luminescent material, enhancing night-time visibility.

Citizen has also opened up the dial design here while the watch’s new 46mm by 11.5mm case is slightly conical, which is meant to emphasize the Promaster’s thin profile. The case back is engraved with a map of the Northern Hemisphere.

The case back is engraved with a map of the Northern Hemisphere, a unique feature for this model.

Prices: $795 (Stainless steel with partial grey-colored plating) and $850 (Stainless steel with all grey-colored plating).

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The Watches

A Winning Ode to Climbing Everest

By Steve Huyton

For a long time, Chinese-made products have been unfairly dismissed as inferior quality or disposable products. Admittedly in a region as large as China, there is a broad spectrum ranging from substandard to superlative.

Nevertheless, tech giant Apple exclusively manufactures in this country and it hasn’t deterred consumers at all. Within the watch industry, the label Swiss-made still carries a lot of weight. However, there are a lot of brands like Ciga Design that are changing people’s perceptions.

This company shook the world of horology on its head by winning the Challenge Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2021 awards for the phenomenal Blue Planet.

The Ciga Design Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition

For that reason, I was delighted to hear of another formidable piece called the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition. This watch was unveiled in 2023 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of mankind’s conquest of Mount Everest.

I’ve always been fascinated with innovative design and that was the catalyst for writing books about this subject. My philosophy is to select based on creative merit rather than brand status. This strategy I believe is more advantageous for the reader because they are offered increased diversity.

That’s why I’m very pleased that brands such as Ciga Design are getting the recognition they deserve. The business is the brainchild of multi-disciplinary designer Zhang Jianmin who specializes in fields like architecture, graphics and product design. After twenty-six years of commercial experience, he decided to launch his own watch brand. In my opinion, the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition is their most ambitious creation to date.

Hilary Quote

Ciga Design have set the tone for this watch by using a quote from mountaineer Sir Edmund Hilary: “It’s not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

These words are very inspiring and captivate the essence of the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition.

Fortunately, I got to inspect one of these amazing timepieces and was incredibly impressed with the overall quality. Aesthetically this watch has a distinctive Avant-Garde appearance normally found in Haute Horlogerie watches that retail for multiple times the price.

The proportions have also been well considered. With a 45mm titanium case, this piece sits comfortably on the wrist and is suitable to wear with formal/casual attire.

What makes the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition so special is the meticulous attention to detail. Remarkably, Ciga Design’s chief designer personally embarked on a journey to the base of Mount Everest to source rock for the dial of the watch. This creates a 3D texture that perfectly frames the exposed central tourbillon carriage.

Other incredible characteristics include ice axe-style hands engraved with the signatures of both Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norway. Ciga Design has also added a nice touch by including the four world flags of Britain, Nepal, India and the United Nations. Overall the minimalistic composition is highly effective and the quality first rate.

Beneath the architectural façade lies a very sophisticated in-house customized hand-winding movement. The Calibre CD-05 comprises 33 jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour.

This exquisite mechanism is visibly showcased via the sapphire crystal exhibition engraved case back. Functionally the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition features hours, minutes and seconds. The watch also has a very impressive power reserve of 120 hours and is water resistant to a depth of thirty meters.

As a perfect finale, the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition is presented on a textured rubber black strap with a complimentary titanium buckle. With a retail of $3,600, I believe this watch is very competitively priced.

Steve Huyton is an industrial designer, illustrator and author who publishes Total Design Reviews

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Interviews

iW Interview: Philipp Plein

As the founder and creative force behind the global Philipp Plein universe, Plein discusses his edgy global fashion brand’s auspicious entry into the world of high-end watchmaking.

Fresh from launching his latest collection in Geneva earlier this month, and just after a second launch in Milan during Salone de Mobile, Plein speaks about his motivation, his design process and his plans for the Philipp Plein luxury watch collection.   

Philipp Plein at the Philipp Plein Showroom during Salone del Mobile 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Lorenzo Palizzolo/Getty Images for Philipp Plein)

iW: What first inspired you to enter the luxury end of the watch business?

Philipp Plein: I’ve always been a big collector of timepieces and high-end luxury watches and expanding the collection from fashion watches to luxury tourbillon only seemed a natural extension of the Philipp Plein universe.

How do you first consider creating a new Philipp Plein watch design? What is your design process?

A creative process starts first with market research which includes qualitative and quantitative data. The research phase is a key activity to get all possible data from consumer trends, market dynamics, color palette and fabrics. These information and materials are the greatest source I use to start any product development.

The Philipp Plein Dare Devil XII, one of four flying tourbillon models debuted in Geneva in April.

These watch designs started with the creation of an iconic watch case which could represent at the highest design and the iconic brand DNA. Every detail is expression of PHILIPP PLEIN brand, and the ability to transfer these iconic shapes and design concepts across every timepiece creation makes this detailed execution one of the greatest projects I have been working on.

How has your own history as a designer in other areas influenced your watch designs?

Since starting my design journey, accessories have always been a major focus towards creating and completing the Philipp Plein look. With timepieces, we’ve taken our signature design codes; maximalism, quality, shine and sparkle; and have continued to translate them into products that are reflective of who we are.

What aspects or imagery of the Philipp Plein brand are visible within the newest watch debuts?

The tonneau case shape is making a return for the latest models, it’s a silhouette we come back to and one that is a show of luxury for us. The hexagonal Philipp Plein logo is also present on the dials of each new model, with the iconic shape also continued on the texture and pattern of the case exterior. On the reverse of the Flying Tourbillon, the brand’s iconic $miley and $kull-bone complete the new look.

Do you coordinate the look of these watches with other Philipp Plein products?

The Philipp Plein timepieces are both distinctive and complimentary to the full Plein look. Each piece is carefully designed to fit within the Philipp Plein and Plein Sport universe, while expanding on the innovation and continual forward advancement of each brand.

Plein Sport sneakers are another perfect alignment, creating products that are both made for functional active use, while still being within the maximal, eye-catching design styles that continues to bring people towards the Philipp Plein group.

Why use the tonneau case shape (rather than round or square) for these high-end models?

The tonneau case shape is best for our high-end models because it offers a distinctive blend of elegance and comfort on the wrist, embodying the essence of luxury. Its curved design allows for intricate dial detailing and showcases the craftsmanship synonymous with our watchmaking, appealing to collectors with both aesthetic beauty and technical excellence.

The Philipp Plein Noir Samurai Crypto King Hexagon

Will you continue to offer new models within the existing watch collections?

Yes, Philipp Plein Timepieces and Philipp Plein Sport Timepieces will continue to present two seasonal collections a year, as will as a new collection of Swiss Made Luxury Collections in Geneva each year.  Additionally, we presented a new exclusive style at Salone del Mobile connected to the opening of the Philipp Plein Hotel in Milan.

How do you determine the names for each model?

We’ve been accepting cryptocurrency as a payment option since 2021, so the Crypto King collection is representative of this forward thinking and cutting-edge way of operating. Crypto King is and always has been a glance into the future, both for our watchmaking and the brand more generally.

The Ice Breaker

Can we expect additional complications beyond the flying tourbillon in future Philipp Plein watches?

Absolutely. We look at the tourbillons as just the starting point for our exploration and innovation in watchmaking. While the flying tourbillon represents a pinnacle of precision and craftsmanship, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries further by incorporating additional complications into our future timepieces.

A side view of the Philipp Plein Night Wolf Crypto King Flying Tourbillon.

Our goal is to continually surprise and delight watch enthusiasts with new and exciting advancements in horology, staying true to our brand’s ethos of daring creativity and uncompromising quality.

Thank You.

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