As the Richemont-owned Swiss watchmaker marks its 150th year, IWC Schaffhausen is trying something new — an extensive brand campaign featuring Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper, as announced at SIHH earlier this year. This may not sound like much, but for the notoriously old-school watch brand, which is extremely careful about its legacy, it is a big step.
At the helm is their newest CEO, Christoph Grainger-Herr, who took over the reins a year ago, and has since brought his own unique profile, including a degree in design and architecture, and a decade of experience at IWC, to the lead role. As the brand rides the wave, celebrating the milestone year with 27 new limited-edition timepieces, and heading to Tribeca Film Festival next month, we catch up with the man of the moment. From wooing the Snapchat generation to finding common ground for films and watchmaking, here’s what Grainger-Herr has to say.
You have a degree in architecture and even designed an IWC store. How does your design aesthetic help your work?
Architects build visions. There is definitely a shaping element, and it is much more than simply deciding if a wall will be white or grey. To be able to think in those aesthetic dimensions is very much in line with what we do at IWC, because we work in a highly aesthetically-driven industry. This is why I am convinced that creative training is an excellent preparation for this industry, because you learn how to shape visions, to conceptualise and implement them in a consistent way, and across different channels.
What part of your experience (in sales and strategy) is most helpful in your new role?
I have been with IWC for more than 10 years, and I was lucky to be involved in many of the concepts and strategies that you see in place today at our manufacture. During that time, I have worked in many different departments, and have picked up more and more pieces of the puzzle. It is a fantastic opportunity to be responsible for the whole company now, and to oversee, for example, the full product development cycle.
What have you observed about the brand’s growth? Where do you see it going next?
There is tremendous potential for it to reach a much wider audience. We have uniquely appealing and iconic products, and my vision is to develop IWC into one of the world’s top five watch brands. If we are able to build successfully in our key markets, it will allow us to gain market share.
How have consumers and patterns of buying changed over the last few years?
In the digital age, everything is more transparent. Consumers are better informed and take knowledgeable decisions. A typical customer journey could go from discovering a timepiece like the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII on a social network like Instagram, doing research on that reference and the brand online, trying out the product in a boutique, and then actually purchasing the watch in a boutique or at an e-tailer. The challenge for us is to make sure that every part of the journey is a consistent experience — regardless of whether it is a catalogue, website, billboard ad, social media post, or event.
- IWC has partnered with the Tribeca Film Festival since 2013, and this year too, the brand will give away the IWC Filmmaker Award in New York, later this month. It also has a presence in film festivals from Beijing to Zurich, cementing the brand’s commitment to cinema. “The worlds of film and fine watchmaking have a lot in common. Both are based on storytelling, craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail and creativity,” explains Grainger-Herr. “I believe that filmmakers and watchmakers are very similar in their creative ways. Both are trying to tell a complex story with many different aspects, either in the compact time frame of a movie, or in the compact space of a watch case. This is why we have been partnering with film festivals around the globe.”
How do you woo a younger audience who think of watches as an accessory?
The brand appeals to people who are fuelled by their adventurous and free spirit. So we hold a strong draw, especially for a younger audience. Another important aspect is how we communicate digitally to reach out to new generations of watch buyers, like through social media such as Instagram. But we are also embracing new ways of distribution like e-commerce, either with partners or through our own website.
You were one of the first brands to take to fashion sites like Mr Porter. What is your digital strategy?
We were the first luxury watch brand with a permanent presence on Mr Porter, one of the leading luxury e-tailers. IWC pursues an omni-channel distribution strategy. Customers should be able to buy their watch, where and when they want. We introduced e-commerce on our own website in the US last year. Other markets will follow. We see the digital channel as a natural extension of our customer service. It perfectly complements our distribution network with IWC boutiques, authorised retail partners, and phone sales through our concierge service.
