"I created a pocket moonphase watch and a simple calendar. I was fortunate because IWC, despite the fact that most companies thought it absurd to make a mechanical timepiece at this point, decided to experiment by making a limited edition [containing Klaus’s Calibre 9721). We produced 100 pieces to test the market. They sold out within record time when we presented them to the Basel Fair of 1977. "It was a great motivation to keep developing."
IWC's role as a pioneer is also reflected in the fact that it was the first company to recognize the demand for mechanical watchmaking. Calibre 9721 was a success, and IWC continued this trend,Franck Muller Replica
but only with pocket watches. Hannes Pantli visited Klaus's watchmaking workshop at the end of 1970s to discuss IWC's mechanical watches and the future. He told the watchmaker, "Stop making pocket watches. They are out-of-fashion." The Da Vinci Ref was born. 3750 Perpetual Chronograph Calendar.
Klaus reveals that his Perpetual Calendar was perhaps his most important achievement. "I didn't even know what a computer is. All my sketches were done on a drawing board. After manually calculating, I made the prototypes. IWC had been involved in the development of the first quartz wristwatch movements in Switzerland. I was proud of this, but I was also happy that IWC never made quartz movements again. "My main task with Mr Pellaton, was to make more accurate watches, but there was no way to compete against quartz, so we needed to find something else."
The Visionary Road
Grainger Herr believes that the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is IWC's best watch. Klaus accepts this accolade with pride. He says, "It's my story." The big problem was there were so many other perpetual calendars available,roger dubuis replica
all of which were masterpieces and extremely complicated. IWC didn't want to do it in the same way because people would see us as copying and that wouldn't help us. It had to be something new, unusual, and never seen before.
