IWC’s Christian Knoop on Why Good Design Is Timeless
What makes a watchmaker tick? Well, we just found out. On a recent trip to Milan, we got the chance to catch up with Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC Schaffhausen, during his recent visit to Milan to discuss the revival of one of the brand’s most iconic timepieces: the Ingenieur. As the driving force behind IWC’s creative vision, Knoop brings a wealth of experience to the role. Trained as an industrial designer in Germany, his career has spanned industries from furniture and lighting to medical devices and even aircraft interiors.
At IWC, Knoop leads a diverse, international design team from the brand’s headquarters in Schaffhausen. The majority of the creative work—from product design to brand architecture—happens in-house, resulting in a cohesive and deeply authentic expression of the IWC identity. The reimagined Ingenieur is emblematic of this approach: a bold tribute to Gérald Genta’s iconic design, engineered with modern sensibility.
To mark its return, the Ingenieur was the focal point of IWC’s latest campaign, shot during Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025. Inspired by the slogan “Form und Technik,” the campaign captures the synergy of design and engineering at the heart of the brand. It stars two-time Olympic champion freestyle skier and IWC brand ambassador Eileen Gu alongside art director, music producer, and model Morgan Mesple, a Swiss brand ambassador for IWC. Together, they bring to life the technical precision and expressive form that define the Ingenieur today.
We spoke with Knoop about the legacy of the Ingenieur, its place in IWC’s design language, and how the new campaign reflects the future of the brand.
Gérald Genta is one of the most celebrated pioneers in watch design. Which aspects of his approach do you think made him quite ahead of his time?
Christian Knoop: The two biggest things Gérald Genta brought to the table were not only designing a watch for us with the Ingenieur but really putting down the design codes and identity for a product so powerful and recognizable that it survived many decades and iterations. The Ingenieur already had strong technical credentials when Genta came in, but he gave it its iconic form.
And secondly, he made the watch designer visible. Before that, watches were mainly identified by the watchmakers or founders. Genta really elevated the role of the designer in our industry. I'm very proud and grateful for what he did for IWC and for our profession.
What do you think the story of Gérald Genta's Ingenieur teaches us about the relationship between innovation and market acceptance?
We are surrounded by so many new, well-designed products in all industries. But the difference between a beautiful product and a successful product is its character and identity. It needs to be recognizable, linked to the brand in the customer’s mind. That has become more important than ever.
The blue dial Ingenieur plays a central role in this current campaign. What do you believe the significance of the color blue is, and how does that reflect the spirit of the watch?
The Ingenieur started as a steel watch with black dials. Over the years, we've seen many color variations. Blue, in particular, has become very popular and remains timeless, elegant, and classy. We often sell more blue dials than black. It’s a color that reflects longevity, which is key for our customers looking for a long-lasting, possibly heirloom piece.
How do you find that the Ingenieur's evolution reflects IWC's broader design philosophy?
I think it’s the other way around. The Ingenieur is quintessentially IWC. It embodies our identity as a brand rooted in engineering and pure design. Unlike many competitors located in western Switzerland, we have an American founder and a strong connection to German and Swiss design principles. The Ingenieur, as a bracelet watch, also complements our predominantly strap-based collections.
What role does timelessness play in the design of luxury watches, and how does the Ingenieur exemplify this?
Christian Knoop: Timelessness is essential because many of our collections are over 80 years old. Our customers expect a watch to be aesthetically and physically long-lasting. But relevance is also key. We must strike a balance between heritage and innovation. In the new Ingenieur, we stayed true to Genta’s DNA but refined proportions, added materials and complications, and introduced unexpected colorways. These surprises attract attention, but often customers return to the timeless options.
As Chief Design Officer, how do you ensure the Ingenieur stays faithful to Gérald Genta's original vision while adapting to the present?
It was important that we didn’t just copy the original piece. Designers inherently question the status quo. We look at the past, understand the brand and product codes, and then push forward. Whether it's proportions, ergonomics, or materials, the aim is always to innovate meaningfully and respectfully.
While the original Ingenieur was revolutionary, it wasn’t immediately commercially successful. How does this long view shape your approach to the watch today?
It really comes to life when you're in Schaffhausen. Our original building is still there, next to the river Rhine. Many employees are second or third-generation. That local, long-term culture shapes the brand in a very authentic way. It’s about more than marketing—it’s real heritage, and that informs how we think about legacy and relevance.
The campaign slogan for this watch is "Form und Technik." What does that say about the relationship between engineering and design?
We chose that slogan deliberately. It highlights two core aspects of our identity and roots us geographically in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. It also reflects the balance we strive for. Form follows function, yes, but also emotion. At IWC, it’s about equilibrium—engineering and design working hand-in-hand to create something exceptional.
