Schaffhausen conquers Geneva with aircraft carrier

WW: An aircraft carrier was built for the IWC stand at the Watch Salon in Geneva. Was it built especially for this exhibition or will it be used later?
Chris Grainger: No, that's the interesting thing about us: we create a complete theme world every year. In other words, we spend a year building and developing a theme to bring it to life. The aircraft carrier is exclusive for five days and will not be used again. Of course, it will not be destroyed afterwards. It was built in such a way that we can reuse most of the substructure. Only the decorative layer on top is unique.

What can be said about the budget used?
Of course, we can't give you exact figures here. But let's put it this way: it is a significant investment that IWC is making here to ensure that the most important week of the year for us is a success.

Has it long been part of IWC's style to appear with such buildings?
Yes, but it gets a little more complex every year. I think this year we've surpassed everything we've realized so far. It was by far the most complex thing ever. I mean, we needed four timber construction companies working in parallel just to build the timber structure here. And the fact that over 50 individual suppliers were involved, plus the very complex graphics and metal installations. Many different companies came together for this.

How is the trade fair in Geneva positioned compared to the watch and jewelry fair in Basel?
The trade fair in Geneva is a much more exclusive affair. The difference is that the fair here is for invited guests only, i.e. our customers, retailers and journalists are invited. It is not a public trade fair like in Basel. This results in a much more reduced and exclusive atmosphere. There are fewer people, a different audience and the crème de la crème of the people we actually want to see. The concept is that the trade fair is presented in a uniform way from the outside with cafés and catering in the middle and then the brands can present themselves individually within their area.

What will visitors be able to experience for themselves at IWC?
We differ from many brands in that we have a very open structure at our trade fair stands. This means that everyone is welcome to come and have a drink or something to eat. In the middle is the flight simulator, where you can play through take-off, landing and flights. Here we have recreated a US Navy jet. We tried to design it with great attention to detail, and we succeeded. This is also confirmed by the feedback we have received from top gun instructors and pilots. Everything has been researched in great detail and we have used many original US Navy suppliers for lighting, technical equipment, life rafts and ejection seats. So it's not just a freestyle interpretation. People can sit in a very authentic jet cockpit and really experience what it's like to be a pilot of a naval aircraft. At the end, they receive a Top Gun certificate from us, as a certified IWC pilot, so to speak. I think this is a powerful way of giving people a sense of what naval aviation means and what it feels like in the context of the trade fair.

What can be said about the concept of flying clocks?
I think the fun of IWC is the mechanical complexity and the engineering. And the aircraft carrier is one of the most complex engineering objects there is. A 332-meter-long floating city with 5500 personnel and 100 aircraft on board. This serves wonderfully as an analog symbol for the complexity of a mechanical watch. What is important for us in this topic is not only the engineering, but also the interaction between man and machine, which is part of being a pilot. We also want to demonstrate this here on this aircraft carrier. Visitors can experience this in the flight simulator.

Who is responsible for this creative idea?
This year it was my concept. I developed the entire design and implemented the idea with the help of a team in Schaffhausen and an external team. We have stand builders, architects, rendering agencies and merchandising agencies who help us to turn the details into reality in the end.

To what extent is the Jung von Matt/Limmat agency involved in this exhibition?
Jung von Matt/Limmat wrote the press presentation. They developed and produced the presentation film and the media presentation that we show in our press room.

Will the appearance in Geneva result in further advertising materials such as posters?
At IWC, the advertising campaign is always a complete package that encompasses all media. It starts with the Internet presence, website, social media, catalogs, literature, press releases, advertising materials, product campaigns and so on. That's all part of it. We have also developed a complete series of promotional gifts that we have designed especially for IWC, such as pilot bags or pilot jackets. We always try to use all channels because it's about pilot watches and the central point is marine aviation.

What are the impressions that people take away from the IWC stand?
It's incredibly impressive and the feedback is overwhelming. You should see the looks on visitors' faces when they walk past and see the flight simulator. I've been doing this show for seven years and I've never seen anything like it myself. Unbelievable! You have to know that watch brands are often very sober in their presentation. This is a completely different way of selling a topic than if we just talk about mechanics and engineering and show some watch models. The visitors all become big play children and have fun. Seeing how much fascination this arouses in people has also totally overwhelmed me. You think about it for nine or ten months and it only exists in your head and in the end it all comes together. That is also very impressive for me.
Interview: Monica Danuser