76 U | August 2015

IN THE LAP OF LUXURY

By CELINE ASSOUAD

Our Editor sits with IWC Schaffhausen’s Regional Brand Director - Karoline

Huber - to discover all about the exquisite Portofino midsize

collection and the brand’s fascinating endeavors.

W ith a clear focus on expertise and improvement, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting

value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. Catering to watch lovers who prefer a slightly smaller timepiece, the Portofino collection is characterized by simple timeless designs that have made this watch family become one of IWC Schaffhausen’s most triumphant.U: Tell me a bit about the collection.C.A: IWC was founded 150 years ago. We’ve had six very distinctive product families ever since. One of these product families is the Portofino collection, which saw the light of day in the 1960’sU: Why the name Portofino?C.A: It is inspired by the Portofino lifestyle. Grandly by the blue skies, the turquoise water, the easy living, Bellini, the sun, the rooftop terrace, the ice cream and anything that we love about Italy – specifically about that little area. The way that translates into timepieces is really the fact that it is easy to wear. It is the easiest timepiece to wear in our portfolio because it goes with anything for any occasion.

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U: Can you describe its aesthetic?C.A: We have the rose gold and white gold models. From the Portofino Midsize collection comes a unisex collection. Some come with enlarged face shapes while other come in smaller faces. The aesthetic is rose gold with diamonds on the bezel while the simpler version’s aesthetic contains diamonds on the dial. You get to play with the straps from a range of red, orange, purple and more. You can really dress the watch in whatever way you would like. There’s always this element of easy-to-wear, the element of small complication. The moon face design on the watch is the resemblance of the Portofino little village and the lifestyle.U: How is the spirit of the Portofino village portrayed in the collection?C.A: Portofino is one of the most beautiful detached places in the world. It’s like you are entering this little sort of wonderful yet peaceful and rich little suburb that has inimitability due to its small size. It is the reason why many American movie stars love to go there because it is hidden away. This is why the name was picked for the collection in order to reflect its exclusivity.U: What makes the Portofino midsize collection different from other collections?C.A: The spirit. Moreover, in terms of design, it is the only family to date in which we are using the Mother of Pearl and the only family where we are using diamonds.U: Who wears the Portofino Midsize watch?C.A: Somebody who is very elegant, distinguished, refined with a very strong personality and a sort of an ambitious character. Therefore, we came to the conclusion that a person as determined and successful as that would be Cate Blanchett. When you look at the ladies in the store I would say there is that part of Cate Blanchett in them but also the housewife part that is devoted to her family. A Chinese clientele is abundant at IWC especially men. At first it was surprising for us since in our culture the watch with diamonds is not necessarily masculine. However, according to the Chinese culture, diamonds are a resemblance of their health, therefore the more diamonds a timepiece has the healthier the man is.U: Any limited edition timepieces in the Portofino Midsize collection?C.A: It’s too early for that. It’s a newborn baby and before we teach it how to swim we should teach how to walk. However, we are most definitely aiming for limited editions since they are always valuable.U: In your opinion, what is the most important feature in a luxurious watch?C.A: It is very individual, it depends very much on what one likes or dislikes. For me, the most iconic complication is the moonphase; I love it because I think it’s very romantic. I also love the way the little stars are hand painted and the way it is diligently crafted therefore it works precisely with the moon. I love it from a romantic and a mechanical point of view. However, other people tell you that a power reserve is what’s most important to them. Hence, it is very individual opinion but my favorite remains the moonphase. While for some it is the feel, for others it is the craftsmanship.U: What’s the label’s motto?C.A: The one that differentiates us most from all our competitors is the fact that we position ourselves as masculine brand. Thus, the slogan

“Engineered for men.” That doesn’t necessarily mean that we are excluding women, actually it evokes the opposite because the more you tell women that something is not made for them the more they want it. Tell us what we can’t have and it becomes what we want most. Moreover, with that prerogative it makes it easy for us to evaluate design very objectively asking ourselves “Is this a complication or functionality that our prototype men will like or doesn’t like?” But in essence, all IWC watches besides the fact

78 U | August 2015

that they are engineered for men are all functional and their design is always timeless. You will never find a watch that was trendy one summer and out of trend in winter. It is an expensive piece that you cannot buy for a summer and then throw in the drawer.U: What do you think about when designing the watch?C.A: We think about a mindset rather than an agenda. You will want something that you will wear three or four times rather than just once. For instance, sophistication and elegance are a mindset and we are designing those watches according to that, rather than focusing on gender. We never do fancy complications on watches that don’t have a purpose. Every manufacture construct has a purpose from the date has to the moon face. It’s all about practicality.U: What are the questions to be asked before buying a luxurious watch like IWC?C.A: The first question that you want to ask yourself is when do you want to wear the watch. Be it for an occasion, or whether you have many watches and you need a casual timepiece for the beach or the tennis then chances are one is looking for a chronograph one. In case you are buying your first ever watch after graduation or your first bonus from your job and would like to reward yourself, you would want to buy something elegant for life, making you want to buy something different from a sports watch. Moreover, if you some have multiple watches already and are looking for a specific complication then the moonphase falls into this category. In other words, it is first about the occasion or is there a specific functionality that one is looking for. U: What is the age range for IWC wearers?C.A: It starts early at late 20’s and ends late at 60’s. Customers who choose IWC are people who want to go off the beaten track and wear something different than what everybody else is wearing and want to reward themselves.U: How necessary is having a luxurious timepiece?C.A: It is essential. I consider it to be a piece of jewelry that differentiates a person. It is something that lives with you; you can feel its heart beat. It is very individual to look at your watch than at your iPhone. It distinguishes the wearer from the rest of the crowd.U: What did you learn from your journey in the watches business?C.A: It was a wonderful and phenomenal journey but I am still learning from today as there is something new everyday. The three things that I have learned for myself: heritage and culture are basic things in the luxury watch making. The mechanic that we invented a hundred years ago is still as beautiful and fascinating as it was first invented. Thus, that heritage, knowledge and tradition is something that is vital to me and essential. We can learn from that industry in that way we don’t need to reinvent the wheel all the time. Innovation is not always good – tradition is sometimes of much more value. The second thing that I have learnt is that the people behind the brand are as important as the brand and the product itself. I’m blessed with an amazing team that I work with here in the Middle East; they are always running the extra mile. They are the driving force behind the brand – they are the ones who make it shine and bright. Last but not least, I learnt is that passion is all that matters eventually. IWC wouldn’t be as successful today if it didn’t come down to the passion. It goes for the entire IWC team and the Atamian team here in Beirut who all share the same passion for the job and with whom we have developed a friendship. I personally wouldn’t want to work for any brand to which I have no passion for.