the other legend at IWC

[caracarnj]

Many IWC fans here may have met, or at least heard about, IWC's master watchmaker Kurt Klaus. Here, however, we would like to introduce a senior colleague of his who not only helped to save the firm in its darkest hour, but also played a part in the re-birth of A Lange & Sohne.

Presenting... Hannes Pantli, member of the board of directors at IWC, spokesman of the management board, and a pretty respectable collector of IWCs himself.

LW: According to a story about the legendary Gunter Blumlein done some time ago by my friend Jaw, you were instrumental in saving IWC from financial ruin sometime in 1976, in the aftermath of the quartz-instigated crisis in the Swiss watchmaking industry. Will you be kind enough to tell us a bit more about this

Hannes Pantli: I joined IWC Schaffhausen in June 1972 and was responsible for some European markets. The following year, 1973, was until then the best year in IWC's history.

But, by 1974, the crisis started due to several facts: Our tuning-fork watches were a flop, and nobody knew about the future of the watchmaking industry with the upcoming quartz watches. To complicate matters, the era also saw the end of the financial treaty of Bretton Woods, and resulted in much confusion concerning exchange rates and the price of gold.

IWC's board of directors at the time consisted of only three people, due to the crisis. The sales director and technical director had left, and others were forced to go. The owner, Hans Ernst Homberger, CFO Otto Heller and myself, we had to look for new products and new markets.

The Arabian Gulf countries were just starting to open up. Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Oman appeared on the map. I made my first trip to this area in 1974. It was quite adventurous, practically no hotels were available, and the connections were difficult. Important business was only possible through direct visits to the ruling families. These customers were mainly interested in jewellery watches, especially in sets.

For the ladies, they requested watches with matching earrings, finger rings and necklaces. In the men's domain, they were requesting watches with matching rings, key chains, cufflinks, writing instruments, all with precious and semi-precious stones set in gold or platinum.

Because of the small customer base, we had to create four to six new collections every year, but these markets and these special collections saved IWC from bankruptcy.

LW: We've also been told that you were the one at IWC who was instrumental in spearheading the revival of A Lange & Sohne, something you confirmed when I met you earlier this year in Singapore.

What was it that made you so confident about this German brand - that has now become so respected if not loved by watch collectors the world over?

HP: During the quartz-instigated crisis of the 1970s, we decided that the future of IWC Schaffhausen can only be assured with mechanical watches, knowing that a small manufacturer could never compete with producers of electronic components. We studied various possibilities, and our worst-case scenario was a small workshop with something like 30 watchmakers who would only produce special mechanical watches for collectors. We started with special pocket watches.

In that arena, A Lange & Sohne still had a fantastic name among collectors for pocket watches, and so we were thinking of a collaboration with this traditional German watch manufacturer. We went to see a member of the Lange family in order to discuss eventual possibilities. We soon found out that in those earlier years cooperation would not be feasible, because many parts of A Lange & Sohne's production were settled in the former DDR (East Germany) and there was no way to get anything out of that country.

But some time later, on Nov 9, 1989, honorary consul Albert Keck, CEO of VDO, Gunter Blumlein, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, and myself had dinner together when we heard about the fall of the Berlin Wall over radio. Two weeks later the first 'ambassador' of IWC arrived in Glashutte. The rest is history, a very successful history.

A few years after that, however, I must confess that I was not so pleased anymore. A lot of the money that could have been used for investments in IWC Schaffhausen had been instead absorbed by our new child. When I complained about that, Mr Keck told me that he understood my point of view but I should consider it as a patriotic duty. I told him that I perfectly understood his motivation but I only had the wrong passport, a Swiss one - not a German one.

LW: Over the course of your 36-year career with IWC, you must have come across some talented and memorable watchmakers. Of these, whom (inside or outside of IWC today) would you 'talent-spot' as your chief technical advisers if you were tasked to build a totally new and exciting watch by IWC?

HP: I will just mention some people from Schaffhausen, or people that have worked for IWC: Kurt Klaus, Robert Greubel, Richard Habring and Felix Baumgartner.

LW: You are something of a legend at IWC for yet another important reason. We're told that at one point, you had the world's most complete collection of the brand's best pieces, more than 400 in all. Were these many pieces acquired one at a time, or did you have the opportunity to buy a large collection from someone else at some point?

HP: Altogether I had over 400 IWC watches in my collection, and I collected them piece by piece. I did not buy any existing collections. I have some fond memories of how I found some of the watches.

In 1992, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of IWC Schaffhausen, we decided to open a small museum. As IWC had no collection, except a beautiful collection of antique timepieces older than our company, we decided to lend part of my private collection to the new IWC museum.

A little less than 10 years later in 2001, when IWC Schaffhausen was taken over by the Richemont Group, I was asked to sell my collection to them. I sold 320 pieces because I thought that they somehow belonged to the factory. Today, I own approximately 100 IWC watches, part of which I have lent to our museum.

LW: When did you start collecting IWC timepieces seriously? And, for our readers who are keen to collect, what made you decide to specialise only in IWCs?

HP: I bought my first IWC watch three months after I started to work for IWC Schaffhausen. It was a red gold pocket watch from a Russian aristocrat. I decided from the start to collect only IWC watches as my father who was collecting stamps taught me that it is impossible to collect everything, and that you have to focus clearly.

LW: In the same vein, what are the most important criteria you set for yourself before a watch can qualify to become part of your collection?

HP: I think that I am somehow untypical for a watch collector, as I follow my sense of beauty more than I look out for technical specialities.

But, of course, the most beautiful and interesting pocket watches were also the ones with the most interesting movements.

LW: You said that you sold a good number out of your collection to Richemont after they bought over IWC in the year 2000 - something like 300 pieces. It must have been a very painful thing to do, choosing which ones to part with. Was this mainly because they were keen to buy over those pieces that you had already lent to the IWC Museum for public display?

HP: Selling the watches was not as painful as I first thought, because it was logical that the collection would remain with IWC - as I do not know what my children would do with them one day.

Some very special pieces are, of course, still in my possession.

LW: We hope this is something that never happens, of course, but in theory at least, if you were told that you could keep just 10 of the IWCs that remain in your collection - which 10 would you choose?

HP: Among the 10 watches I would choose are the ones that were extremely difficult to find and to buy, for example, a pocket watch from 1884 called La Magique. Only two of this type were built and sold to an aristocratic Sicilian family. It took me three years to track down the watch, and to convince the owner to sell it (at a 'human' price) to me.

There are still one or two watches in the market that I have wanted to buy for years - but I am patient.

I will also tell you that the Il Destriero Scafusia Grand Complication built by IWC to commemorate its 125th anniversary is certainly on my wish list.

LW: OK, so you've already cornered some of the best IWCs out there. For my readers who have been inspired by your story and also want to specialise in a particular brand, what other brands in high horology do you respect enough to name as distinct collectible possibilities that they can research more deeply?

HP: There are, of course, several other brands that I respect and would eventually collect. As but one example, A Lange & Sohne - for obvious reasons.

But, in my opinion, it is very important to differentiate between collecting and speculating. I always buy watches because I admire them and not to speculate on them. I think we should leave speculation to the stock market. Nevertheless, in my case, IWC watches were a fantastic investment.

LW: Finally, Mr Pantli, the IWC brand has a very macho, male-centric ad campaign today - seen by some as going out of their way to annoy potential lady customers (and very cleverly too). But I cannot resist asking if you see IWC surprising us by offering ladies an exclusive line of nicely tailored pieces anytime soon?

HP: IWC today is certainly a man's watch, but it is also very much appreciated by ladies. In the Nineties, we decided for various reasons to focus on men's watches with the appropriate positioning.

But to answer your question: Will there ever be one day nicely tailored ladies timepieces from IWC Schaffhausen? Never say never.

Cheers!

[b16a2]

Wonderful post, some great information there!

"At one point I had over 400 IWC's in my collection" - That is one serious collection!!

[RobbieG]

This is why I love it here and I come here first to learn about genuine watches before going to a genuine watch forum. Knowledge about watches - starting with the gens which are repleicated is obviously the most important place to start in this hobby. And this post will prove to many that there is always something more to learn that was not already known. Fantastic post. The more of this type of thing we can get here the better. Bravo.