IWC and Mercedes at SIHH 2013


Unlike the “other” annual watch show (and by that, we mean Baselworld), SIHH is an exclusive professional trade show, put on primarily by the Richemont Group, whose brands include some of the best names in watchmaking such as IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, A. Lange & Söhne, Vacheron Constantin, and Cartier. The show itself is quite a luxurious affair, and each brand pulls out all the stops to highlight their new product offerings to retailers, journalists and VIP attendees. Yet year after year, it is IWC that manages to put together a booth that truly stands apart and astounds the crowds.

Last year, IWC recreated the deck of an Aircraft Carrier in one of the exhibition halls to demonstrate their ties to military aviation – we thought that would be a tough act to follow, not to mention surpass. But they did.

This year, IWC, whose slogan is “Engineered For Men,” highlighted another area of masculine, testosterone-infused passion. Race cars. And not just any race cars. Mercedes Benz Silver Arrows.

While its fun to play in a flight simulator (we did that last year), it paled in comparison to being in the presence of a Petronas F1 Car, an AMG SLS Safety Car, and, oh yes, Juan Miguel Fangio’s 300SLR!

IWC is a brand that is serious about heritage, as is apparent in their watches (stay tuned for a review of their new Ingenieur), and they also did a great job in promoting the history of Mercedes Benz, whom they partner with. The booth was just as much a celebration of one of the greatest automobile manufacturers of all time as it was a place to showcase their new timepieces. We can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next year.

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Written by James Lamdin