Horological Meandering

A visit of the IWC boutique Piazza di Spagna in Rome

 

As you know, one side of the IWC strategy is based on the development of its own distribution network. In this context, the opening of the IWC boutique in Rome during the first quarter of the year was not a big surprise. This boutique also symbolizes the ambition of the brand in Italy since it is the first boutique in the country. I would have expected to see it in the economic capital of Italy, in Milan, but Rome has also strong assets being a much more touristic city than Milan. The surprise for me was more the location of the boutique. Piazza di Spagna, 28! Can you imagine it? It is located on one of the most prestigious and known areas in the world. I can guess that IWC had waited for the right opportunity to find the perfect location and Piazza di Spagna choice became obvious. Piazza di Spagna is not only a famous square: a lot of movies were shot there, it inspired writers, poets... and well, in a more mundane point of view, it is a crowded area anytime, any hour of the day which is very positive for the turnover of the boutique.

If the boutique has started to operate in March, it was inaugurated the 28th of June with the presence of George Kern. 28 is a key number for the boutique as you can see and it is the reason why the LE of the Portofino Chronograph gathers 28 pieces.

Since I was in Rome in August, I couldn't miss the chance to visit this new boutique and of course to browse the current IWC collection!

So let's discover together  this new boutique!

It is located 28 Piazza di Spagna just on the right side of the Spanish Steps:

And of course not very far from the Fontana della Barcaccia:


Do you see the boutique on the right when you are at the Fountain?


Let's enter the boutique now!

It is a small boutique but with a very well-organized lay-out.


Actually, each area has a specifc purpose. The displays at the entrance highlight specific pieces  while the various shelves are dedicated to the collections.


The boutique is decorated following the latest IWC architectural principles. Even if the size of the boutique is small, I felt the same atmosphere than in a larger boutique (like Paris) what is a very positive feeling.


The selling table is located at the back of the boutique:


One collection per column of shelves:






And outside the boutique, the crowded Piazza di Spagna...


The Ingenieur collection shelves:
 


This display is used to put a focus on specific timepieces:


Let's have a closer look to the watches now!

This is the Portofino Chronograph released in a LE of 28 pieces to celebrate the opening of the boutique.

As you know the Portofino collection was redesigned to make this collection more credible in the IWC catalogue and the designers did a great job.

The Portofino Chronograph is a quite large watch (42mm) with nice pushers inspired by watches from the past. I like the hands shape and the two subdials.

I'm less convinced by the two roman figures which are almost totally eaten by the subdials. The small permanent second hand subdial may unbalance the dial but at the end I didn't have this feeling:

The solid caseback features an engraving with the Spanish Steps and the Barcaccia on the foreground:

The watch is powered by the 75320 movement which is a Valjoux 7750 caliber.

Despite its large size, I could appreciate the elegance of the watch on the wrist:

Of course, the Portofino Chronograph has its own diplay! Look at its decorations... we are clearly talking about a Roman watch!


The Portuguese Chronograph Classic is a very important watch for IWC since it is the new chronograph in the Portuguese collection and this time, with the in-house 89361 movement. As you know, the traditional Portuguese Automatic Chronograph is powered by a Valjoux 7750 base and it stays in the collection for the time being. The two watches are not in the same price range.

This new watch takes advantage of the features of the Yacht Chronograph but in a less sportive context.

Case diameter is 42mm:

Thanks to the use of the 89361 movement, the Portuguese Chronograph Classic features a date window, a larger power reserve (68 hours), a flyback chronograph and a hours and minutes counter at 12 o'clock:

The finishings of the 89361 movements are quite austere and I would have appreciated more refined details. On the other hand, it has a nice lay-out with a "technical feeling":

I was quite seduced by this watch which is very different from the Portuguese Automatic Chronograph. I will come back to it later.

We enter another collection with Pilot Chronograph Top Gun.

As you can see it with the dial colors, this watch is the Boutique edition (LE of 500 pieces).

This watch is my fav of the trio of the Boutique editions dedicated to the Pilot watches. I like the complication and the blue and black atmosphere.

The ceramic/titanium case diameter is 46mm:

The solid caseback is logical due to the presence of the soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields.

The 89365 movement belongs to the family of the in-house chronograph calibers with flyback function. It has a 68 hours power reserve.

A powerful design and a surprisingly comfortable watch on the wrist:

I'm less convinced by the Big Pilot Top Gun Boutique edition. I don't like green on watches and I think that the color mix works less than with the chronograph.

The ceramic/titanium case still has the same 46mm diameter.

The watch is powered by in-house movement 51111 known for its 7-days power reserve:

The same comments can be made on this watch than with the chronograph. Despite its size, it is rather comfortable on the wrist thanks to an efficient strap system and a good positioning on the wrist. But I'm absolutely not seduced by this black&green mix...

As you know, 2013 was an Ingenieur year! So I ask to the staff of the boutique to show me several good representatives of the collection.

I couldn't miss the Ingenieur Automatic since it is a very important watch for IWC being the more affordable of the collection with the purest design:

The Ingenieur Automatic features a 40mm case which included a protection against magnetic fields.

From my point of view, this watch has several assets:

- the beauty of its dial
- the bracelet design
- its comfort

I like the Ingenieur indexes: 

The nicely designed bracelet:

The watch is powered by an ETA2892-A2 obviously hidden by the solid caseback.

On the wrist:

Back to the use of an in-house movement with the Ingenieur Chronograph Racer:

I appreciate the little touches of blue and the very neat design of the dial. The pushers are also well integrated into the overall design:

The case diameter is 45mm. Thanks to the use of the 89361 movement, the watch features a flyback chronograph and 68 hours of power reserve. Even it is a rather thick case (14,5mm), it is a chronograph I like in this "sportive" and all-around (water resistant to 120m) context.

To be frank with you, the Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium is not my cup of tea despite the use of a titanium case.

The way the rubber details are inserted is nicely made but I don't know... I found this watch less appealing. Maybe it is due to the presence of the double window date + day on the dial which is for me a bit useless in this very casual context.

The pusher on the left gives the right clue to guess what is the additional complication and the reason behind the name of the watch. It is a split-second hand chronograph powered by a Valjoux 7750 base (like the Portuguese Split-Second). The case has a 45mm diameter and a 16mm thickness.

The Portuguese Tourbillon Mystère Rétrograde allows us to take advantage of the IWC flying Tourbillon. The watch, sold in a LE of 500 pieces in PG and of 250 pieces in Platinum offers an unusual date display on the dial with a retrograde hand:

I love the dial lay-out, the applied figures and the contrast between the big date display and the small power reserve one.

About the Tourbillon itself, I have mixed emotions. I don't find it so beautiful even if it gives an enjoyable view when it moves. The incabloc is too visible for my taste.

A gorgeous dial:

The caliber 51900 has a Pellaton automatic winding. Even if the case has a 44mm diameter, it fills the full space available what is very nice for the eyes... I find its finishings a bit too sober, especially with a Tourbillon watch but as usual with IWC, the interest of the movement comes from its architecture. Seeing this large automatic movement is pure pleasure.

A great watch on the wrist:

I would like to finish the report with this stunning WG Portuguese Perpetual Calendar with blue dial.

Even if the complication doesn't speak to me, I think that this watch is amongst my top 3 IWC timepieces: the dial, the 51613 movement, its main color... each detail makes it very attractive!

Do you notice the Northern and Southern hemisphere Moon Phases display?

The comments I did about the Portuguese Tourbillon Mystère Rétrograde are still valid here: the movement fills the full case.

With a case diameter of 44mm and a thickness of 15,5mm, this watch has an unusual size for a PC watch. But who cares at the end when such size is coherent with the dial and the movement?

In addition of being automatic, the 51613 movement offers 7 days of power reserve. A very interesting feature in the context of the PC complication.

It was here a love at first glance... what a beauty!

But sadly it was time to leave the boutique... customers were knocking at the door!

I hope that you had the same pleasure to browse this report than I had to visit the boutique and write the report. Thanks to the boutique staff, I could have a quite comprehensive overview of the current IWC catalogue, from the Portofino to the Portuguese collections without forgetting the Ingenieur and the Pilot ones.

I wish the best for the boutique and its staff. Of course I would like to thank them a lot for the warm welcome and the time they dedicated to me. I enjoyed this appointment.

Fr.Xavier


This message has been edited by foversta on 2013-09-01 08:40:29

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