PRESS RELEASE: Swiss Watchmaker IWC Celebrates SIHH 2009

PRESS RELEASE: Swiss Watchmaker IWC Celebrates SIHH 2009 With Kevin Spacey, Zenedine Zidane, Ronan Keating, And Other Stars

In the company of prominent guests such as Zinédine Zidane, Ronan Keating, Jean Reno and Marc Forster, IWC Schaffhausen celebrated the premiere of its watch novelties on the occasion of the SIHH from 19 to 24 January 2009.

Football legend Zinédine Zidane, Oscar prizewinner Kevin Spacey and Hollywood actor Jean Reno are known for having a weakness for the engineering genius within IWC watches, which are so rich in tradition. And these prominent watch lovers were guests at the SIHH watch fair in Geneva for the first time. A particular sensation this year was the presence of the James Bond director Marc Forster, who joined this illustrious company at the launch of the new generation of Aquatimer diver's watches from IWC Schaffhausen to get an idea of what these professional instruments would look and feel like on his wrist. In the midst of the breathtaking backdrop of the IWC stand at the trade fair ?which was decorated completely to evoke the feeling of the underwater world of the Galapagos, using large-screen backlit nature photographs to help create a location with a fantastic atmosphere ?these stars let themselves be illuminated about the secrets of these professional diver's watches as well as further IWC novelties.

Dinner reception in an intimate gathering The special ambience of the Batiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva surrounded the guests of the Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches IWC Schaffhausen and made them feel at home in a warm, cosy setting. Select business partners and prominent guests arrived to bring their day to a close in a relaxed way with a lively cocktail reception, an exquisite dinner buffet, a bar and musical entertainment. Photographer Michael Muller didn't miss the opportunity to comment on the highlights of his photo series showing the magic world of the Galapagos Islands, images he used to develop an atmospheric backdrop for the IWC Aquatimer watch collection. Football legend Zinédine Zidane, Hollywood actor Jean Reno, Singer Ronan Keating and James Bond director Marc Forster greatly appreciated this congenial atmosphere. Oscar prize-winner Kevin Spacey visibly enjoyed the music of Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell and his jazz ensemble and spontaneously took the microphone and performed two songs for the enthusiastic audience. Personal contact with these stars instead of a red carpet and a relaxed get-together in a stylish setting helped create the charm of this evening event and gave it an undeniable touch of intimacy. With its original machinery and many of the everyday objects of the era, the Kulturzentrum BFM, a historic decommissioned pump house in the middle of the bed of the River Rhone, set the perfect technical accent and, together with fascinating lighting effects, underscored that engineering is a core value for the IWC watch manufacture.