2026 could well be a milestone year for IWC Schaffhausen. At the recently concluded Watches and Wonders, the brand celebrated many landmarks, the chief amongst which were the first mechanical tool watch engineered specifically for human spaceflight; the launch of IWC's proprietary luminous ceramic technology in the Pilot's collection; and two decades of collaboration with famed aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with the release of several models with signature deep-blue sunburst dials and Little Prince engravings. The Pilot's Venturer Vertical Drive (Ref. IW328601) developed in partnership with Vast, the company building Haven-1, which is scheduled to become the world's first commercial space station, alongside Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet, Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume, the new Ingenieur models and more, have all created a robust lineup at the brand (read about the watches in-depth here).
We caught up with IWC Schaffhausen’s Chief Marketing Officer, Franziska Gsell to understand the brand’s vision and her personal take on the watch world. Here are edited excerpts from our interview.
WatchTime India: IWC released their first watch engineered for space. What led to this creation?
Franziska Gsell: Logic, really. If IWC’s purpose has always been to build watches for people operating in extreme conditions – pilots, divers, explorers – then space is the natural next chapter. Given our 90 years of experience in developing instruments for the cockpit, a watch certified for spaceflight was the logical next step. But we approached this project with meticulous attention to detail. We did not simply refurbish an existing terrestrial aviation watch for space but rather took a blank sheet of paper to define what a watch for astronauts would have to offer in terms of functionality, time display and material execution. The result is the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive, which represents the first of its kind. From its innovative rotating bezel system – allowing all functions to be controlled while wearing a space suit with gloves – to the 24-hour mission time display, every detail has been carefully designed for timekeeping in orbit.
WTI: The latest Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar is the lightest Perpetual Calendar by the brand. What are the reasons behind this choice?
FG: When we re-launched the Gérald Genta-inspired Ingenieur back in 2023, we introduced a capsule collection of the Ingenieur Automatic 40, including one version with a titanium case and bracelet. Thanks to its lightness – titanium is about 40 percent lighter than stainless steel – and its distinctive grey sheen, titanium is a highly attractive choice for wristwatches. It is also a signature IWC material, as it marks the beginning of our materials journey in the 1980s. The perpetual calendar from Kurt Klaus, on the other hand, is arguably a signature IWC complication. So combining these two with the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 in titanium felt like a natural decision.
WTI: IWC Schaffhausen has a deep in engineering and aviation. How do you keep that alive and relevant for today’s generation/collectors?
FG: By never letting heritage become nostalgia. Ninety years ago, our first Pilot’s Watches were instruments that helped pilots navigate. This year, we have built the first mechanical tool watch engineered from the ground up for the unique demands of human spaceflight and timekeeping in orbit. The engineering mindset and the ambition stay the same; only the frontier changes.
WTI: Luxury today is as much about storytelling as it is about product. What is the narrative for IWC in 2026?
FG: 2026 is all about the 90th anniversary of our Pilot’s Watches, and the extension of that legacy into space. With our new Le Petit Prince collection, we pay tribute 20 years of collaboration and to the more emotional side of aviation, represented by the most famous literary work from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who was a pioneering aviator and a gifted storyteller. The highlight of the collection is our new Perpetual Calendar ProSet, the first perpetual calendar with a moon phase that can be adjusted both forward and backward through a single crown position. It’s a fitting expression of our brand claim “IWC. Engineered.”, and an impressive demonstration of our engineering mindset – the IWC-typical philosophy of always striving to make things “just a little bit better”.
WTI: You have been with IWC for over a decade, how has that journey been and what changed?
FG: When I joined, IWC was already a great brand with a legacy spanning almost 150 years. What has changed is the scale and the international focus. Today, the “International Watch Company” may be more global than ever before in history. Making sure that our collections resonate with an audience that comes from so many different backgrounds, that we tell our stories in a compelling way so they can be heard everywhere – those are genuinely exciting challenges.
WTI: You’ve worked across industries—from beer at Carlsberg to chocolate at Lindt & Sprüngli, and now haute horlogerie. What fundamentally changes—and what doesn’t—when marketing across categories?
FG: The emotional aspect never changes. After all, it’s always about creating a desire, about making people dream. What changes is the time horizon. At IWC Schaffhausen, we make timepieces that are engineered to last for generations. That durability calls for a completely different depth of relationship, both with the product and with the brand.
WTI: What excites you the most about your role today?
FG: The fact that IWC is genuinely inventing things. It is rare in any industry to work somewhere where your engineers are solving problems that have not been solved in hundreds of years of watchmaking – like a perpetual calendar that can be adjusted through the crown in both directions. It took us 10 years to solve this challenge. And that is something that never gets old. That level of engineering thinking is something I find endlessly energising.
WTI: Has your time at the brand influenced how IWC communicates with female collectors?
FG: I hope so. But I would frame it differently - it is less about speaking to female collectors and more about making sure we never exclude them. When you build something technically extraordinary and tell its story honestly, it speaks to anyone who is genuinely curious. Great watchmaking transcends gender.
WTI: What does luxury mean to you personally today?
FG: Time. The irony of working for a watch brand is that you become very deliberate about how you spend yours. Luxury, to me, is anything that makes time feel well spent.
WTI: If you had to define IWC in one sentence—as a consumer—what would it be?
FG: A watch engineered to solve a real problem – that happens to be beautiful.
Images: Courtesy Brand
Also Read :
Watches and Wonders 2026: IWC Schaffhausen arrives with a space-certified tool watch, a reinvented perpetual calendar, and a broad expansion of the Ingenieur
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Ingenious Ingenieur: We deep dive into Gérald Genta's creation for IWC
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IWC Schaffhausen introduces two new limited edition ‘The Little Prince’ Pilot’s watches
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