On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2025, IWC presents the 'Monoliths' installation in its Milan boutique at Via Montenapoleone 21, which can be viewed for the entire month of April.
On the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2025, IWC unveils 'Monoliths', a sculptural installation housed in the boutique at Via Montenapoleone 21. Conceived by designers Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces, the work represents a refined encounter between form, technique and material, paying homage to the new Ingenieur collection. Inspired by the 'Form Und Technik' philosophy, the installation enhances the design essence of Ingenieur through the visual and symbolic impact of lava stone. Five lava plinths house as many luminous niches, in which the clocks are revealed as sculptures set in the rock. "A perfect balance between nature and technology, between past and future," commented the two designers.
The installation was created by Ranieri di Napoli, a company specialising in working with lava, of which Meda and Lopez Quincoces are creative directors. IWC entrusted them with the task of reinterpreting the Ingenieur design, originally redefined in 1976 by the hand of Gérald Genta. With his visionary stroke, Genta transformed the watch into a sculptural object, projecting IWC's engineering mastery into the world of pure design.
'Monoliths', IWC's installation at Milan Design Week
At the Maison's boutique at Via Montenapoleone 21, the 'Monoliths' installation can be viewed throughout the month of April.
The result is an installation that enhances the primordial materiality of lava, processed with advanced technologies to enhance its textures and colours. "The aim of this project is to create a dialogue between an ancestral element like rock and a high expression of design like Ingenieur," explains David Lopez Quincoces. "We wanted to make the lava stone interact both in its raw and transformed state, through colour and reflections, just like in the clock face, where light plays with the geometric surfaces".
Francesco Meda adds: 'Our work is based on technology, design and functionality, but also on the quality of materials and finishes. We chose lava because its uniqueness emerges through processing: By modifying the surfaces, we achieve metallic or ceramic effects of great aesthetic impact'. The concept of 'Monoliths' finds a clear parallel in the history of Ingenieur. 'In the 1970s, this watch was already an icon of the future,' Meda adds.
"Our research is not limited to stonework, but extends to the entire design approach. We are not talking about simple craftsmanship here, but about a balance between precision engineering and design'. The process of making the plinths is highly sophisticated. In fact, each element originates from a massive three-metre block, from which parallelepipeds are carved. The surface is worked to preserve the natural effect of the rock, while the interior is lightened thanks to a complex coring technique.
Finally, the luminous niches are milled with extreme precision, pigmented and fired to achieve the desired tones. "This level of customisation and research is what distinguishes our work: the attention to detail and the ability to turn a technical challenge into a work of art," the designers conclude. The 'Monoliths' installation will be on display at the IWC boutique in Via Montenapoleone 21, Milan, throughout April.
