Open Letter to IWC from John Mayer (Hodinkee article)

So well written and so true for me... In many current models I dont't find the spirit I liked so much in some past models and for the one I like the prices have reached the sky...

First of all thanks for the link. Interesting read indeed. I had a thought about it and I would agree with Tilo. I don't share feelings of John Mayer. IMO every brand has right to develop rather than freeze in time for the sake of the small group of collectors. Because 'sitting in one place' will inevitably stop the brand development. Which is the worst case scenario for any brand. In the most cases it means that brand will simply vanish from the surface of the Earth at the speed of missile. Only the time can tell which watch model will be the holly grail and which will perish without any trace. But it is true only in the case of having an option to choose from. Limited editions and many different models increase the amount of admirers of the brand which subsequently brings different opinions and wishes (as well as the income - which is as important as everything else) about the way the brand have to develop. The path can not be without flaws. However, it is miles better than no development at all. The was some appeals about PP, A. Lange & Sohne, Porsche or VW. But have you actually looked how many customisations of their regular models these companies have on offer? I just looked on the official PP website. And on the front page there are 23 models. And each of them can have various customisations; plus transitional models, plus the ones not on the website (mostly great complications). It is more than current IWC collection. They don't call it 'limited edition' but it doesn't change a thing. Same stuff with Porsche. How many different variants of 911 you can find over the years? At least several dozens. And I guess nobody will dare to tell that one variant is less classy than another. It is simply down to the taste and the thickness of the wallet . And on top of that you have all these new 4x4 versions which are also successful and contribute towards the brand development and popularity. Is it not the goal of any brand or business?

Cheers
JK

+1

I think he nailed it.... Not quite understanding how an company that claims "Engineer for Men" is creating diamond bezel Portofino's for woman all of a sudden... Slowly becoming a fashion brand and it's concerning ..

I recently got a stainless steel white deal Portuguese hand-wound eight days
and I think it is a beautiful design and a great watch. Why would I care if there are other IWC models that I don't particularly like?

I have mixed feelings about the letter from Mayer. As others have said, a brand has to evolve or it will surely become staid and limited in its ability to grow. On the other hand, maintaining a brand's roots and staying true to its DNA is important to brand loyalists and those for whom brand history is important.

If I look at the current IWC lineup, it's clear that there has been at least some attempt to maintain the brand's ethos. The controversial triple-date window notwithstanding, the Mark XVII and 3777 share obvious lineage with the early pilot's watches. The Big Pilot has obvious roots in the original B-Uhr and has maintained much of its character since being introduced. The Portuguese Automatic has a clear connection to its forebearer. The recent CF3 is another great example of a return to a purity of design and an attempt to take the wishes of the minority collector to heart.

Of course there are examples of what the hard core IWC enthusiast might consider transgressions - a plethora of LEs that dilute certain aspects of the lineup, increases in watch sizes that might serve to exclude certain collectors, etc. But I do think that IWC has at least some awareness of where it came from and what made it successful, and as long as there is a core lineup of watches that stay relatively true to this then I don't see the situation as quite so dire.

The Watch Snob (askmen) has been ranting about this for quite some time :)

Just look at Apple, company nearly went broke before Steve Jobs returned with a revised strategy of 'disciplined focus' (small portfolio of only a few products). The company can now buy countries.

I fell in love with IWC since I was 17. Still love the brand, but the mass-premium strategy has somewhat diminished its equity regardless of bottom line performance.

The portfolio is driven by product extensions to drive new news, nonetheless, mayer is right to question the efficacy and sustenance of such an approach.

Referencing the Ingenieur collection, the 3239 works and is the saving grace of the entire line, purely because it is the most authentic. The rest - smoke and mirrors.

Agree... Rolex, Patek, BMW etc are also all good examples of this.... disciplined focus helped them all build iconic items of desire that the masses all desire to own... IWC currently has so many items of desire, it's getting to the point of flooding the market with a ton of stuff and hoping that something sticks.... This has been proven to never work, especially in the luxury world..

Disagree: It works better and better since many years now, which is part of some other's criticism as well. Much better than at times before 2000, which weren't bad either.
IWC in my opinion is doing pretty well and I like many items of the current collection.

Hi, thanks for sharing... just my 2 cents

An interesting and insightful letter. Though I tend to agree to some of his points, it is a bit naive.

I love IWC for a very small amount of models it has in its collection, much more than any other iconic watches by other watch makers. And if IWC were to just produce those few models that i like, i doubt they'll be in business for long.

IWC can come up with as many "uninspiring pieces" or "senseless limited editions" for all I care, and it will not change my opinion of the few models that I like.

These opinions are nothing new. No matter how melodious JM can strum it, it's still stale to me.

Well written by John Mayer....I know various collectors who shifted their watch Budget away from IWC to other brands.

They are fed up paying for all the events the IWC CEO likes to hold with some actors, musicians etc.

The future will tell us If IWC is going the right way.

I started my Collection with IWC only...but that changed over the last years although the majority of my watches are still from IWC but not from the last years.

Greetings

You can read this statement concerning IWC's future all the time from the old style collectors that don't like the current IWC.

This CEO is driving IWC now for 13 years very successful. I'd even say he (not alone of course) lifted IWC up to the next level. Referring to business success and the collection.

I respect if someone doesn't like the current collection. Taste is individual of course.

I'd say 50% of this success is due to what had been built up previously by Mr. Blümlein, and the other 50% are on the expense of the success that IWC will lack in the future years.

I think many good points have been raised in this thread on "both sides".

IWC still has at least one model in each family that is consistent with its heritage. As a customer I don't necessarily have to like every product a brand makes - in fact it's better for my bank account if I don't. And a company has to keep innovating and developing itself to stay in business (I would not be the least surprised if some of the models today considered classics, were originally met with criticism from the purists of the time they were launched).

At the same time a too wide and incoherent product portfolio does dilute the brand and I agree that IWC is pushing the limits in terms of brand consistency and positioning.

However, the references to BMW, Porsche, Rolex etc. as being "purer" are neither fair nor factual. BMW's model range has exploded in recent years. Porsche's Cayenne and Panamera are without doubt extensions that go beyond their classic sports car heritage. If you take a closer look at Rolex, PP, AP, JLC and others you will see their product portfolios are as wide and diverse as IWC's, if not more. Many of these brands engage celebrities and build silly stories just like IWC. To me the Leo Messi Royal Oaks and Aston Martin JLCs are just as unappealing as any co-branding IWC does. In this respect IWC is no different than the vast majority of the luxury watch industry. And if I understand John Mayer correctly, his main point is precisely that IWC has lost the "we’re the other guys". Regardless of whether a person prefers "the other guys" or not, it is clear that the IWC of today is financially stronger and more successful than the IWC of yesterday.

Thomas

Thomas: Great analysis! I also see some other brands such as BMW or even worse, Porsche are pushing the limits. It might turn out to be profitable for a period a current CEO holds the position, but it surely is not in the long term. But none of the nouvelle riches will care.

Thomas, I couldn't agree more. The evolution of Porsche is an analogy that came to my mind as well.

I own two classic 911s and often lament the company's move to building sedans and SUVs. The fact is the Porsche of old that many of us romanticize was on the brink of bankruptcy when it decided to move away from hand building it's cars and moving to mass production adapted from Japanese car makers. This coincided with the move to water cooled engines from the traditional air cooled variety in order to meet noise and pollution requirements and sell into additional markets. Porsche had to evolve to meet the changing environmental requirements and the tastes/lifestyles of its customers. Doing anything else would have meant certain demise.

Today Porsche is flourishing. It still makes some hard core sports cars to satisfy the real enthusiast (eg GT3) but has widened it's lineup for greater appeal. I see this as exactly analogous to the situation with IWC.

I have a lot of time for John Mayer. I bought his first album soon after it was released when I heard two buskers singing 3x5 in Boulder, Colorado. I also have a view that no Porsche should be any bigger than a 911. Nevertheless, I believe John Mayer's views are naive and divorced from reality.

There's no doubt that the bloated Cayenne saved Porsche. I don't like the car but it saved the company and generated the funds to invest in cutting edge cars.

Similarly, I would not buy all the IWC Limited Editions in the boutiques and I have some reservations about the direction of some of the IWC brand families but I recognise that IWC would never survive if it had to rely on my custom or the custom of all the collectors on this Forum.

When I think where IWC has come from since Mr Mayer bought his 5002, it is quite astonishing. In 2002, there was just one in-house movement driving the premium Portuguese models and the Big Pilot. This year we see the launch of more in-house movements to take a refreshed Portuguese line forward.

We take the Boutiques for granted. For me, the opening of a London Boutique has been a very exciting event. This retail strategy has added a new dimension to the purchasing experience. IWC has become an aspirational brand and celebrity endorsement is a proven way of feeding aspiration.

None of this can happen unless IWC is generating the revenues to justify the investment. To believe that the brand should remain where it was back in 2002 is naive in the extreme.

I want to see new watches and new movements. I want to see the business in Schaffhausen grow from strength to strength. I shall continue to be critical of the things I don't like but I participate in this Forum and continue to buy IWC watches (old and new) because I love the brand. I am fortunate to be invited to Geneva this week to see the roll out of the new Portuguese line. I find that exciting and I am sure I will feel the same in 12 months time when the next line is refreshed and relaunched. To me, that is so much better than chasing examples of a brand that has long since been defunct. John Mayer, along with several people on this Forum, appear to want to see IWC as a fossilised extinct brand. Most of us who love the brand want to see IWC as a vibrant and growing brand. That's where management have been taking the brand over the past decade or so.

Plus 100%. Could not have put it better myself.

Cheers,

Jarrod