Beirut, 24 May 2016 – Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen and Est.Atamian hosted an exclusive watchmaking class for its watch collectors in Beirut at Vintage Wine Cellar in Saifi Village. The event offered participants an exciting glimpse into the world of watchmaking with legendary IWC watchmaker Kurt Klaus. This unprecedented event celebrated the recent launch of the new Pilot’s Watch collection at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva in January.
Only a select number of IWC watch collectors had the chance to attend the watchmaking class conducted by Kurt Klaus. And the evening did not stop there, as guests enjoyed a selection of cheeses and tasted unique wines and champagnes from around the world.
Over the course of more than five decades at IWC Schaffhausen, legendary master watchmaker Kurt Klaus played a substantial role in some of the most important developments in the world of watchmaking. An integral part of IWC Schaffhausen, he is best known for inventing the perpetual calendar. Even after his retirement, he has continued his involvement with IWC as a brand ambassador, media spokesman and watchmaking instructor, and continues to travel and share his stories of watchmaking with collectors around the globe.
BIG PILOT’S WATCH PERPETUAL CALENDAR EDITION ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPÉRY
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry plays a special role in the Pilot’s Watch line. IWC Schaffhausen has created a memorial to the French author and pilot, and to his most famous work,
“The Little Prince”, every year since 2006 and 2013, respectively. Throughout his life, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was torn between flying and writing, between technology and poetry. The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry has a tobacco brown dial and a calfskin strap with creamcoloured ornamental seams that are reminiscent of Saint-Exupéry’s flying suit.
The perpetual calendar displays not only the cycles of the moon but also the seconds, minutes, hours, date, day, month and year in four digits. Until 2100, the differing lengths of the months and even the leap days in the Gregorian calendar are all factored in without the need for a correction. Powered by two barrels, the IWC-manufactured 52610 calibre has a 7-day power reserve and sup ports nine functions and displays. The rotor is made of solid 18-carat red gold. To the right, an engraving stating ONE OUT OF 750 indicates the special edition.
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.