A horological cocktail conversation celebrated the engineering legacy of the firm’s new competition-worthy timepiece collection
Words by CATHERINE BIGELOW
As the big hand of the moon glided near the facade of the Transamerica Pyramid on Wednesday, October 29, a crowd of well-heeled connoisseurs subtly flicked their wrists while sipping Champagne on the roof deck of the Battery Club in San Francisco.
Those wrists were all sporting ticking artworks, many crafted by International Watch Co. (IWC), the luxury Swiss watch manufacturer and host of this horological cocktail conversation that celebrated the engineering legacy of the firm’s latest Ingenieur collection.
That particular model enjoyed a star turn this spring in the Apple-produced film F1, starring Brad Pitt, who wore a custom-made Ingenieur Automatic 40 Green. A devoted fan of vintage sports watches, Pitt reached out to IWC with design suggestions for a one-of-a-kind creation made just for the film. It proved so popular, however, that IWC released a limited edition of 1,000 timepieces with the Pitt-inspired green dial.
Excited guests modeled the dazzling timepieces (rendered in materials like platinum and titanium and ranging in price from $4,100 to $46,500) placed on their wrists by white-gloved assistants. Others ogled historic models from ICW’s museum in Schaffhausen, Switzerland: the original 7L Jumbo (1977), a test watch (1993), and a watch showcasing a change in the model’s size (1983).
The evening also included an IWC video featuring the late Gérald Genta, the heralded industrial designer, who, in the 1970s, reimagined IWC’s original 1955 Ingenieur and was a proponent of the “Ten Principles of Good Design,” an ethos established by storied designer Dieter Rams.
Event co-hosts Blake Buettner, a watch industry expert, and Wesley Smith, founder of the Standard H apparel and lifestyle brand, held a deep-dive design and IWC appreciation convo — from crown guards and bracelet links to millimeter sizes — they recorded live for Smith’s Standard H podcast. Both sported their IWC favorites: for Buettner, it was an Ingenieur Aqua Dial; Smith had both a Pilot Watch “Tribute to 3705,” as well as a vintage IWC pocket watch.
For many, the “watches” we use most are ringing in our purse or back pocket. But for Buettner and Smith, a watch is more than just an instrument to tell time — it also enhances an ensemble and tells a story.
“In the video, Genta touches on that: by bringing the art to [the Ingenieur], it has to connect on an emotional level and how we express ourselves,” Buettner said. “It’s a great experience that a watch is bringing to you, beyond the core practical tenets of its design.”
Although there is no dedicated IWC boutique in San Francisco, there is a West Coast flagship on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, just a short plane ride away.
“IWC has tapped into something special with this watch,” said Buettner, who is based in New York. “You can see it in how IWC is utilizing this Dieter-esque design language. And by being in San Francisco, IWC is influential in what is closely identified as the modern tech world.” 329 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills; iwc.com.
November 18, 2025
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