Innovating Eternity: A Dialog with IWC’s Stefan Ihnen
We’ve got a uncommon deal with this situation – an prolonged dialogue with longtime IWC Affiliate Director of Analysis & Improvement Stefan Ihnen. In actual fact, this situation of Legacy has the excellence of that includes some comparatively new voices for our readers – however you may uncover that in your individual time. In conventional watchmaking, we are inclined to rethread the identical topics repeatedly and thus it would really feel like the identical previous story. Assembly individuals on the forefront of innovation in watchmaking modifications that dynamic. So far as IWC goes, you’re more likely to listen to from the likes of Christoph Grainger-Herr and Christiaan Knoop and we may have gone that route too however after I noticed Ihnen’s identify on the interview checklist, I needed to have him. Why? The reply is one other identify: Ronan Keating.
That’s quite a lot of names to dish out within the introduction to a narrative about one man. And the point out of a pop star from a current however bygone period could have a few of you balking. Since this interview seems in print first, maybe you have been tempted to drop the journal or possibly even throw it throughout the room. Nonetheless right here? Let me clarify. IWC collectors of a sure age will recall that Ronan Keating was as soon as a good friend of the model, and he stays a collector of IWC watches – the official relationship is a bit nebulous however you may nonetheless see the Irish singer sporting IWC watches.
Someday in 2007, a superb a part of the IWC administration crew descended on KL, Malaysia, for the opening of the model’s flagship retailer in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. On that event, I interviewed then-CEO Georges Kern however I paid heed to a younger watchmaker and engineer who was with the crew. Sure, I used to be a technical man proper from the beginning. Anyway, that man was Ihnen and but we’d not have an opportunity at a correct sit down till this yr. After I completed amusing Ihnen mildly with some Keating references, we obtained all the way down to enterprise.
This being the yr of the Everlasting Calendar, we did focus on this however we’ve got written about that extensively so this dialog begins, because it ought to, with Ihnen himself. A uncommon instance of an engineer and watchmaker who educated formally in each, Ihnen truly got here up by the IWC apprenticeship programme (see beneath). He started his watchmaking coaching in Germany, turning into a grasp watchmaker in 1997 so he was actually part of the nice wave of hopeful change that broke over conventional watchmaking on the finish of the twentieth century, and the beginning of the twenty first.
For everybody who loves IWC’s in-house actions and the cool supplies the model makes use of, Ihnen is the person you need to meet as a result of he constructed up the analysis and improvement unit, nearly actually from scratch. His insights into manufacturing additionally reveal a sensible facet to even model assertion items such because the aforementioned Everlasting Calendar. Stick round until the tip for Ihnen’s ideas on that, and a quick reminder of how the entire calendar system works.
Allow us to start with you, and your lengthy historical past with IWC. After such an extended tenure, what retains you going?
After I began, analysis and improvement was only one small group. 4 or 5 years after I joined, we divided this group into actions and circumstances, and I managed to take over the motion improvement half. There was nonetheless quite a bit to do in these days to construct up extra in-house actions, functionalities… So, I needed to develop and construction (the technical division) and that saved me busy, apart from all of the (particular motion) initiatives. You understand, at first, we have been eight or 9 individuals in analysis and improvement and now, greater than 20 years later, we’re nearly 50. It was by no means boring! I maintain going with IWC as a result of there’s all the time a brand new challenge…some cool new factor; a brand new step in my profession; and new obligations.
What’s your favorite a part of your job?
I nonetheless actually like motion improvement though I do not need a lot time as did in my early years after I was devoted to this. Now I’m not so deep into it however as Technical Director, after all I can cherry decide somewhat bit and when there’s a actually cool challenge I can (focus my attentions there). I’m within the steering committees so (I’ve some autonomy in what I need to be extra personally concerned in) and naturally I nonetheless do that. In addition to this, it’s actually the give attention to (watchmaking) approach and the give attention to individuals as nicely. I additionally actually like working with and creating my individuals. You understand, there was a younger man with me 20 years in the past who was an apprentice and he’s now a crew lead, working instantly with me, so that is very nice…
You’re each a watchmaker and an engineer, which is uncommon as a result of most watchmakers aren’t additionally engineers! How do you deal with the conflicts between these views, and between individuals in these totally different roles as nicely?
You’re completely proper (on the subject of the rarity of this mixture however not essentially to the cut up between watchmaking and engineering, in addition to the arising conflicts). In any improvement space, or in any enterprise once you provide you with new stuff and also you need to convey it into manufacturing, there are (naturally) some doubts. There are the standard questions on whether or not the brand new factor is sweet, if it’s going to work… You all the time have to beat these boundaries, I might say, and persuade individuals…and I imply this isn’t nearly watchmakers and engineers. The individuals concerned in manufacturing of elements are in a super state after they can simply produce components seamlessly. Once you include a brand new product, know-how, materials, the primary response is all the time “will it work?” There will likely be reactions like, “Oh I attempted it and it took me half an hour longer than earlier than.” It’s important to overcome this; it’s a part of the enterprise, to place it merely.
For me there is no such thing as a battle; I’m a watchmaker and I’m an engineer. Each facets must coexist completely for the job I’m doing and I’m additionally trying to find individuals like this (watchmakers who’re additionally engineers) to workers my division. (They aren’t frequent) so fairly often we go for younger watchmakers who’ve the potential (and curiosity) to go research (engineering). This mix – this profile of watchmaker and engineer – it’s good. It’s good for improvement; it’s good for coverage administration; it’s good for industrialisation; and it’s good for work within the laboratory. For me, it’s actually a profit to have each side…when you may have each (watchmaking and engineering) views.
With regards to innovation and manufacturing, how do you resolve the place to direct your energies? Supplies and calendars? Chronographs?
Sure, we’ve got to focus somewhat bit; it’s not potential to do every thing. In actual fact, we’ve got (what we name) the innovation roadmap, which is strategic. You talked about being restricted (a part of the dialog edited out, this was about IWC’s repute and standing as a maker of strong watches, with extra to do with engineering than superb artwork) however actually it’s being true to who we (IWC) are, what we stand for and what we’re profitable with. I imply, our founder (Florentine Ariosto Jones, of the aforementioned Jones calibre) got here to Switzerland in quest of sources to make watches on an industrial scale. So, we make advanced watches like perpetual calendars and chronographs with fewer components as a result of that makes them extra strong. This isn’t a limitation however extra like a path.
To be sincere, you’re additionally asking about one thing that includes different parts, like advertising and gross sales. These choices are made based mostly on numbers (gross sales figures and so forth) however what I’m speaking about is the strategic view on (the watches we work on), therefore the innovation roadmap. So on the supplies facet, it’s titanium, ceramic and now Ceratanium. On actions, it’s (additionally precisely as you stated) calendars and chronographs. IWC is (one of many solely ones) with a digital show for years on the perpetual calendar; we’ve got a number of kinds of moon part (mechanisms and shows); and we’ve got every kind of calendars, from full calendars and annual calendars to perpetual calendars and now the Everlasting Calendar.
For the Everlasting Calendar, every thing follows from what (IWC legend) Kurt Klaus did within the Eighties with the perpetual calendar and the moon part perform
You understand, 2100 could seem distant for us, however there are individuals born now who will see it. Perhaps our children too (or their youngsters). So yeah, the Gregorian calendar itself might change at 4,000CE and we simply don’t know but, even after we discuss with physicists (Astrophysicist and science communicator Professor Brian Cox was talking on this topic at WWG this yr). The Everlasting Calendar is right up until that yr, which is one of the best anybody can do (even computer systems can do no higher) and possibly that may be a bit too far off for a sensible profit. However 2100? If you concentrate on it, that’s not so distant. Watchmakers should think about, by 2080 maybe, in the event that they need to promote a perpetual calendar that can solely be perpetual for 20 years or much less. At that time, I believe we at IWC will likely be completely satisfied to have one thing just like the Everlasting Calendar as a result of perpetual calendars are going to fail then for the primary time!
Perpetual calendars are made to take note of the type of the Gregorian calendar. Whereas we get into this in- depth final situation, right here is the quick story, which is required to make this closing level make sense. Leap years add a day in February and yearly divisible by 4 is such a yr. However this over-corrects the issue. So, the calendar has extra mathematical divisions as a repair. All years divisible by 4 and 100 aren’t leap years; if a yr is divisible by 4, 100 and 400, it’s a bissextile year. Successfully, which means that 2100 is just not a bissextile year and explains why 2000 was. With secular calendars reminiscent of IWC’s Everlasting Calendar, that is now not a difficulty. Ihnen’s level in regards to the yr 4,000 CE is reference to a proposed change to the calendar that will happen then however has not been agreed upon.
This text first appeared on WOW’s Legacy 2025 Challenge.
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