During her trip to Schaffhausen, Gu had the opportunity to experience the watchmaking process firsthand during a tour of the manufacture and had lunch overlooking the world-famous Rhine Falls. IWC Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell was on hand to accompany Gu during the visit, which followed the Olympic medallist’s debut appearance at the Watches and Wonders show on Wednesday. 
 

“I am thrilled to join IWC Schaffhausen on home ground this week,” explained Gu. “It has been so interesting to experience the reality behind the legendary ‘Made in Schaffhausen’ pledge. Seeing the watchmakers’ passion and expertise as they carefully craft each watch has been amazing. I also enjoyed visiting the Rhine Falls and hearing how its waters powered the original factory, a fascinating foreshadowing of the sustainable ethos driving IWC today.” 
 

IWC has produced mechanical watches in Schaffhausen since 1868 and opened a new manufacture in the Swiss city in 2018 to mark its 150th anniversary. A groundbreaking facility, the IWC Manufakturzentrum combines component production, case-making and movement assembly all under one roof. Organised in sequential steps, the process from raw materials to finished watch movements and cases can be experienced up close with transparency. 

At Schaffhausen, Gu wore the recently-released Portofino Perpetual Calendar (Ref. IW344602). Launched in November 2022, it is the first time a perpetual calendar has featured in the Portofino collection in decades. At just 40 millimetres, it is also the smallest version of the complication in IWC‘s portfolio. Gu‘s 5N Gold version has a silver-plated dial, gold-plated hands and appliques and a soft, blue calfskin leather strap. It is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82650 calibre movement and will run without adjustment until 2100.

ABOUT EILEEN GU
Born in 2003, Eileen Gu is a champion freestyle skier, a successful fashion model and a student at the prestigious Stanford University. Gu started recreational skiing at age three before delving into freestyle skiing when she was eight. Freeski is an action-packed extreme sport that involves spectacular acrobatic skills like flips, spins and slides. She became the youngest Olympic champion in her category at Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics after winning two gold medals and a silver medal. Most recently, she participated in January’s Winter X Games in Aspen and the Freestyle Ski World Cup in Calgary.

During her visit, Gu toured IWC’s booth, which this year has a retro-futuristic look dedicated to the latest reimagining of the Ingenieur watch. First developed in the 1950s as a homage to technical ingenuity, the Ingenieur collection is characterised by the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s passion for engineering, material innovation and style. The new editions are inspired by Gérald Genta’s design from the 1970s, considered one of the most iconic steel sports watches ever created.
 

After CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr welcomed her, Gu was handed an ‘Ingenieur coat’, similar to the lab jackets worn by IWC’s watchmakers, in a symbolic nod to the brand’s engineering know-how. The Olympic medallist was then taken on a tour where she had the opportunity to learn more about the new Ingenieur editions and the ‘FORM UND TECHNIK’ premise of the booth and campaign. She was also presented with some of IWC’s newest chronographs from the Pilot’s Watches, Portugieser and Portofino collections..
 

“It’s incredible to be here at Watches and Wonders in Geneva with IWC today,” explained Gu. “The design of the booth is so impressive, and to have the chance to see and touch all the new watches has been super interesting. In addition, absorbing the Ingenieur story this way has given me an even greater understanding of the collection’s meticulous engineering and astonishing technicality.”

During the event, Gu wore the Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 (Ref. IW659802). Featuring a luxurious 18 carat 5n gold case decorated with 66 light-reflecting diamonds, a silver-plated dial and a taupe calfskin leather strap, the design is a declaration of understated femininity. Moreover, it is the first 34-millimetre Portofino to feature IWC’s intricate day & night complication. Full of poeticism, this charming addition sees an expertly-crafted sun or the moon appearing on the dial at 6 o’clock to indicate if it is day or night.
 

Following her appearance at Watches and Wonders, Gu is now expected to accompany IWC back to Schaffhausen for her first visit to the watchmaker’s Manufakturzentrum on Thursday.
 

ABOUT EILEEN GU 

Born in 2003, Eileen Gu is a champion freestyle skier, a successful fashion model and a student at the prestigious Stanford University. Gu started recreational skiing at age three before delving into freestyle skiing when she was eight. Freeski is an action-packed extreme sport that involves spectacular acrobatic skills like flips, spins and slides. She became the youngest Olympic champion in her category at Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics after winning two gold medals and a silver medal. Most recently, she participated in January’s Winter X Games in Aspen and the Freestyle Ski World Cup in Calgary.

In the 1970s, IWC Schaffhausen commissioned the renowned Geneva watch designer Gérald  Genta to redesign the Ingenieur. The Ingenieur had originally been introduced in 1955. With the first automatic movement developed in Schaffhausen and a soft-iron inner case for magnetic field protection, this watch marked a technical milestone for IWC – also evident in the name Ingenieur, the word used in German and French for Engineer. With his unique artistic signature, Genta succeeded in giving the Ingenieur a new, highly distinctive visual identity. His Ingenieur SL, launched in 1976 as the talking piece of IWC’s SL collection of steel luxury watches, featured bold aesthetic codes such as a screw-on bezel with five recesses, a dial with a unique pattern, and an integrated H-link bracelet. With its innovative and disruptive design, the Ingenieur SL was ahead of its time. Today, Gérald Genta’s creation is a collector’s favourite and one of the most sought-after models from the history of IWC.

ENHANCED ERGONOMICS AND WEARABILITY 
The overall dimensions of the case have been carefully reworked and improved down to the smallest detail. The lug-to-lug distance of 45.7 millimetres ensures perfect ergonomics and excellent wearability, even on a slender wrist. While the Ingenieur SL from the 1970s had nose-shaped horns, the new Ingenieur Automatic  40 features a newly engineered middle-link attachment. Aesthetically similar to the Ingenieur SL, this new solution enhances the ergonomics and provides an even better fit on the wrist. The curved casing ring further improves the ergonomics of the case.

FUNCTIONAL SCREWS AND “GRID” DIAL 
One of the most striking changes of the new model is the introduction of functional, polygonal screws on its bezel. For the Ingenieur  SL, a bezel with five recesses was screwed onto the case ring. As a result, the recesses ended up in a different position on each watch. With the Ingenieur Automatic  40, five screws secure the bezel to the case. The screws now have a technical function and, as a result, are always in the same position. In addition, the dial features a distinctive “Grid” structure, creating a balance to the technical and very sculptural case design. Consisting of small lines offset by 90 degrees to each other, it is stamped into the soft iron blank before it is galvanised. Finally, appliques with luminescence add additional depth and ensure easy legibility, even at night. 

HIGH LEVEL OF DETAIL AND FINISHING
The Ingenieur Automatic 40 features an astonishingly high level of detail and finishing. The case, bezel, and bracelet are elaborately finished using a combination of polished and satin-finished surfaces. The upper parts of the bracelet contain closed links without pins, accentuating the outstanding craftsmanship. The integration of an elaborately finished butterfly folding clasp highlights the beauty and thinness of the H-link bracelet. In addition, a newly designed crown protection further underscores the sporty character of the timepiece.

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY 
The Ingenieur Automatic  40 is powered by the IWC-manufactured 32111 calibre with an automatic pawl winding system and a power reserve of 120 hours. In keeping with the tradition of the Ingenieur, a soft-iron inner case efficiently protects the movement from the effects of magnetic fields on its accuracy. Moreover, the case is water-resistant to 10 bar, making the Ingenieur Automatic 40 a modern and fully versatile sports watch. The Ingenieur Automatic  40 is available in three references in stainless steel: 

• Ingenieur Automatic 40, Ref. IW328901: stainless steel case, black dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, integrated stainless steel bracelet with butterfly folding clasp 
• Ingenieur Automatic 40, Ref. IW328902: stainless steel case, silver-plated dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, integrated stainless steel bracelet with butterfly folding clasp
• Ingenieur Automatic 40, Ref. IW328903: stainless steel case, aqua dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, integrated stainless steel bracelet with polished centre links and butterfly folding clasp 
   

A TESTAMENT TO IWC’S TITANIUM COMPETENCE 
IWC is also presenting one version of the Ingenieur Automatic  40 in titanium. Titanium is about one-third lighter than steel. Other distinguishing features of this material are its skin-friendliness and anti-allergic properties. However, the robust and rugged metal is also incredibly difficult to machine. IWC pioneered titanium in the watch industry in the 1980s and has since acquired unique expertise in this field. The Ingenieur Automatic 40 with a grade 5 titanium case and bracelet features a highly detailed finish with sandblasted, satin-finished, and polished surfaces. The grey dial, as well as the black hands and appliques, further accentuate the characteristic matte grey look of the titanium. 

• Ingenieur Automatic  40, Ref. IW328904: Grade 5 titanium case, grey dial, black hands and appliques, integrated grade 5 titanium bracelet with butterfly folding clasp 

All new Ingenieur Automatic  40 models are available through selected IWC boutiques. Additionally, it is eligible for registration under the My IWC care program, benefitting from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.

In the 1970s, watch designer Gérald Genta created the Ingenieur SL, Reference 1832, as part of his series of luxury steel sports watches. Its unique visual identity has inspired the new Ingenieur Automatic 40, which IWC launches at Watches and Wonders this year. As the 1970s were an era of powerful design expressions, the motto of the booth is FORM UND TECHNIK. By using the German words for ‘form and technology’, IWC is not only referring to its roots in the German-speaking part of Switzerland but also hints at a specific period in German industrial design with a progressive and technical character.
 

THE INGENIEUR EMERGES FROM A STEEL PLATE
In line with this functional approach to design, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 is presented in a reduced, technical way. The collection is integrated into a large steel plate, allowing visitors to admire the sculptural beauty of the watches and learn more about their intricate manufacturing process. The history of IWC’s first antimagnetic wristwatch for civilian use can also be discovered in an exhibition, showing the evolution of this watch family from 1976 to 2013. The new Ingenieur can even be experienced in the Metaverse. In a newly designed Ingenieur space, members of the IWC Diamond Hand Club will have the opportunity learn more about the development of this timepiece from IWC’s specialists first-hand.
 

NEWLY FOUND ORIGINAL DRAWING OF THE INGENIEUR SL 
Also in Geneva, Gérald Genta’s original hand painted drawing of the Ingenieur SL is presented to the public for the first time. The watercolour painting was thought to have been lost but was recently discovered by IWC museum curator David Seyffer and his team. The artwork features many distinguishable characteristics of an original Gérald Genta design – from the paper and the scale to the shading and the octagonal crown. Its authenticity was investigated and officially certified by the Gérald Genta Heritage Association.
 

MERCEDES-BENZ C 111-III AS A VISUAL HIGHLIGHT
A visual highlight of the booth is the Mercedes-Benz C 111-III. This vehicle was part of a series of experimental cars produced in the 1970s to test new engines and materials. A perfect example of “form follows function” engineering, its body was rigorously designed with the aim of optimising aerodynamics. With its strong focus on functionality and technical detailing, the concept car is emblematic of the respective design trend of the 1970s.
 

LOUNGE AREA WITH FURNITURE FROM VITRA
In the lounge area, visitors can relax on iconic furniture like the Lobby Chair ES104 from Charles and Ray Eames, provided by Vitra, a Swiss furniture company. Charles and Ray Eames are amongst the most important figures of 20th-century design. Since 1957, Vitra has been the only authorised manufacturer of their products for Europe and the Middle East. Typical for the designer duo’s work is the combination of functional design with an appreciation for detail. This approach is also reflected in the new Ingenieur, which features an astonishing level of detail and quality in processing and finishing.
 

IWC IS “THE REFERENCE” FOR CHRONOGRAPHS
The booth also offers an in-depth look at IWC’s chronographs. The heritage of IWC is deeply rooted in professional watches, distinguished by their robustness and accuracy. For over 40 years, this legacy has also driven the company to manufacture chronographs that are among the best the industry has to offer. An uncompromising approach to performance, functionality and quality has made IWC “The Reference” in mechanical chronographs. In Geneva, IWC exhibits chronographs from the Pilot’s Watches, Portugieser and Portofino collections. All of them feature IWC-manufactured movements from the 69000 calibre family, engineered with a focus on robustness, precision, and durability. A typical feature of IWC’s chronographs is also the vertical dial layout, a result of the company’s functional approach to design and significantly enhances readability.
 

AN INTRODUCTION TO IWC’S TESTING PROGRAM
IWC lets visitors peek into the IWC Laboratory in Schaffhausen, where the company conducts its stringent quality and type-testing program. Every new movement, complication or watch reference undergoes several dozen tests, simulating at least ten years of wear in normal and extreme conditions. On display in Geneva are four custom-built quality testing devices: a bath test for corrosion and water resistance, an overpressure test for chronographs, an accelerated gear train wear test and a magnetic resistance test.
 

WATCHMAKING DEMONSTRATION WITH THE CYBERLOUPE ®
At the Watchmaker’s Table, visitors can observe a watchmaker performing their magic on several IWC-manufactured movements. Thanks to the patented Cyberloupe®, they can get a closer look at the tiny components inside. Developed, designed, and made in Schaffhausen, the Cyberloupe® is the world’s first digitalised watchmaker’s magnifying glass, featuring a high-resolution camera and a network connection. Since its introduction in 2020, this digital tool has continuously been enhanced and upgraded. Most recently, IWC introduced the Cyberloupe® 3.0 with a comprehensive range of Augmented Reality (AR) features.