Dialogue with Christian Knoop, Chief Design Officer of IWC Schaffhausen

We conversed with Christian Knoop regarding his daily office activities, the overarching concept of design, and specifically, the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40.

Christian Knoop, chief design officer of IWC Schaffhausen

IWC Schaffhausen concluded Watches and Wonders Geneva successfully, attributed to the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40. The watch attracted enthusiasts as it represents the modern incarnation of the cherished IWC Ingenieur SL, originally conceived by Gérald Genta 47 years ago. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 is a notable reissue in the watch industry, developed over an extended period under the direction of Christian Knoop, chief design officer of IWC Schaffhausen. Men’s Folio engaged in a discussion with Christian Knoop in Geneva regarding his daily office activities, overarching design concepts, and the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40.

As the Chief Design Officer of IWC Schaffhausen, what are your duties, and what does a typical day entail?

Christian Knoop: My duty is to oversee the brand's creative and design expression. Alongside my team, we comprehensively address all visual and static elements of the brand, with my primary duty centered on products. We also focus on all other observable manifestations of the brand. It may encompass corporate design, print media, digital platforms, advertising, and social media. It may include packaging, brochures, and catalogues. These may include menu cards, branding materials, boutiques, mobile displays, and pop-up installations. An interdisciplinary team in Schaffhausen is collaborating on this initiative, comprising design talents from diverse global backgrounds to provide support.

You already referenced numerous aspects, and design, as a whole, encompasses a vast range. How would you evaluate the essence of good design?

Effective design is consistently pertinent as it is purposeful rather than arbitrary. Design invariably fulfills a purpose and manifests in a functional project or result. It provides certain functionalities in a product, piece of furniture, or architectural structure, for instance. It provides insights and guidance regarding communication design or discusses the identity and value of a brand.

Mr. Dieter Rams possesses ten renowned principles for effective design. What are your considerations while creating watches and goods for IWC?

I was aware that he established these 10 principles of effective design, but prior to the development of this campaign and communication strategy, I had not reviewed them. Upon examination, I was astonished by the contemporary relevance of this in our daily endeavors as creatives. Considerations for designing new timepieces include principles such as "good design is innovative," "good design is user-friendly," "good design is sustainable," and "good design is durable." In this regard, he was exceptionally visionary and developed something pertinent to our daily endeavors as creatives, whether engaged in watchmaking or other brand manifestations.

This year's Watches and Wonders features the debut of the Ingenieur Automatic 40. What is the historical and heritage significance of this launch for IWC?

The Ingenieur is significant to us as it embodies not just aesthetic appeal but also, through its nomenclature, reflects several fundamental ideals of IWC Schaffhausen related to engineering excellence and enduring, innovative design. This represents our principles in the realm of haute horlogerie. The Ingenieur effectively exemplifies our commercial goods, which are currently predominantly represented by the Pilot, Portugieser, and Portofino. We assert that the Ingenieur occupies a significant position within that portfolio, and the first offering — particularly the 40mm, compact, premium automatic timepiece — is not represented in any other collection. All three lines (Pilot, Portugieser, and Portofino) primarily feature leather or soft strap timepieces, with metal bands being available. This integrated bracelet design, with steel-on-steel construction, is essential for our collection.

With each successive year, there is hope that the Ingenieur SL will be reintroduced with a modern enhancement. What is your assessment of the Ingenieur Automatic 40's reception among enthusiasts?

The four sources currently presented establish a reset or foundation for the Ingenieur. The Ingenieur line has already showcased numerous radical expressions and inventive objects. By revisiting its original design principles, we needed to reestablish the foundation of the entire collection. The Ingenieur features a 40mm automated three-hand timepiece. This year, we introduce three steel models and one in titanium. Should this resonate positively with our customers, we will develop the subsequent collection accordingly.

What design feature of the Ingenieur Automatic 40 do you regard as the essence of the watch?

The issue is unequivocally the bezel. It is one of the product's most robust features, replete with recognizable characteristics. It features an exceptional case, a distinctive dial, and a characteristic H-link bracelet. The bezel is the defining feature, and we dedicated much effort to perfecting its design to ensure it serves a useful purpose once more. The initial design featured five boreholes and was affixed using screws, rendering the orientation of the screws unmanageable. With the new approach, we may regulate the position and incorporate a function, hence we dedicated considerable time to examining various aesthetics. We developed five or six distinct screw head designs, providing numerous possibilities that facilitated the selection of the optimal solution.

My subsequent inquiry pertains to timelines. What was the duration for the team to progress from the design phase to completion of the prototype?

The development of this collection spanned over five years, encompassing various distinct design approaches and exceeding 1500 renderings in total. We utilized an unprecedented number of prototypes that enabled us to assess with exceptional precision. I contend that ultimately, this occurred in deference to Gérald Genta and the recognition of this collection's significance for the company.

Would you like to allocate additional time due to the significance of this piece?

Indeed, I believe this contributed to an extended development period, as all individuals in Schaffhausen recognized the significance of this collection. All individuals were using their utmost efforts to achieve accuracy, demonstrating remarkable eagerness to succeed. Individuals were not displeased during the additional design iterations, as they perceived this as a collaborative endeavor of the entire development team; regardless of whether one was a designer, engineer, or prototype developer, achieving success was a collective responsibility due to the Ingenieur's significant value to the brand.

Finally, regarding line extension, what are the constraints of the new Ingenieur Automatic 40?

That is a complex inquiry. Numerous concepts exist to expand this line if it proves successful. Additionally, we possess a comprehensive portfolio of timepieces featuring complexity, various sizes, materials, and colors throughout the three other collections. That is what we would thereafter need to reconcile with the engineer. However, the Ingenieur can certainly incorporate several intriguing enhancements.