The head of design at IWC Schaffhausen talks about how the pandemic dictated design trends and how the Swiss watchmaker, known for masculine-looking references, is vying for female fans by producing smaller dials
Christian Knoop, Head of Design at luxury Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, says striking a balance between on-brand aesthetics and commercial needs is his biggest challenge. But the pandemic has upended traditional watch design, creating new opportunities for IWC—known for their sporty, masculine watches—to attract female customers.
In an interview with Tatler, Knoop discusses how casual sports watches grew in popularity. And gender, he adds, is less influential on their production as the brand works towards a truly neutral portfolio.
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What is the biggest challenge in your role?
The most difficult problem is putting together a collection that reflects the brand and that customers can recognise and [differentiate] from other companies, [but which is] also commercially relevant and sustainable. You can be really sharp [in design aesthetics] and on-brand, but you risk missing the commercial components, such as trends. As a result, there will always be a need for a balance, which we must strike between customer reality, being a commercially relevant brand and the product portfolio. Ladies’ watches, for example, are an important part of IWC, but there were times when we primarily focused on men’s pieces, which helped establish a really crisp and recognisable brand profile.
