At the Members' Meeting at Goodwood held last weekend, IWC took centre stage with two highlights.
Last weekend, the 82nd Goodwood Members' Meeting was the perfect setting for IWC, who emphasised his collaboration with the highly anticipated film 'F1', due for release on 27 June. The Goodwood Members' Meeting, of which IWC has been an Official Timing Partner since 2015, was attended by a number of film stars and was also an opportunity to witness spectacular car stunt demonstrations.
Actors Damson Idris and Kerry Condon, who star in the film 'F1', attended the event and offered those present juicy behind-the-scenes information about the shoot. Damson Idris in the film plays Joshua Pearce, a young rookie driver in the fictional APXGP team, while Kerry Condon plays Kate McKenna, the team's technical director and the first woman to hold this position in Formula 1. Visitors were also able to admire one of the original APXGP cars used for the filming of the film, based on an F2 car modified to resemble a current Formula 1 car and equipped with lightweight and compact camera systems developed specifically for this production.
In line with the partnership for the 'F1' film, IWC launched a new collection of Pilot's Watches, displayed in a pop-up store at Goodwood together with props from the film. Among the novelties presented, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 with a green dial (Ref. IW328908), limited edition inspired by the watch worn by the character Sonny Hayes in the film (played by Brad Pitt), and the Pilot's Watch Chronograph APXGP (Ref. IW378009).
IWC: the Ingenieur SL short film
Also at Goodwood, the company presented a short film telling the story of the Ingenieur SL with Ref. 1832, designed by Gérald Genta.
The occasion of the 82nd Goodwood Members' Meeting was also used by IWC to premiere an exclusive short film, which tells the fascinating story of the Ingenieur SL with Reference 1832. Designed by Gérald Genta in the 1970s, this steel timepiece with integrated bracelet went from being a commercial disappointment to a collectors' treasure.
Entitled 'The most brilliant failure', the short film combines historical facts with a fictional narrative, following the journey of an SL Ingenieur with a green dial which ends up in the hands of a racing driver, who has to test its robustness on the track. The narrative shows how IWC's approach in marketing the Ingenieur SL exclusively to engineers led to the production of only 598 examples between 1976 and 1983.
Unlike competitors who placed watches with similar designs made by Genta in the luxury sports watch segment, IWC retained the identity of the Ingenieur as a technical watch. This decision, although commercially unsuccessful at the time, preserved the purity of Genta's original vision, a quality now highly valued by collectors. The film thus illustrates how the Ingenieur SL experienced a renaissance around the turn of the millennium, when enthusiasts rediscovered its unmistakable design. Today, these rare timepieces fetch high auction prices and are worn on the wrists of celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sport.
This film project received support from Evelyne Genta, the late designer's long-time partner, and their daughter Alexia. Director Rune Milton, who had already directed the 2020 short film 'Born of A Dream' (chronicling the career of IWC ambassador Tom Brady, American football legend), collaborated with cinematographer Daniel Voldheim of 'Presumed Innocent' for this short film.
For watch enthusiasts and collectors looking for rare pieces with compelling stories, the Ingenieur SL represents more than just a watch, but a piece of watchmaking history that demonstrates how visionary design often takes time to be fully appreciated.
