Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen celebrated the opening of its first US Flagship Boutique in New York City – the largest of its kind worldwide. IWC marked this new milestone with the launch of the Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali – limited to 250 pieces.
The glamorous event at Manhattan's new Madison Avenue hotspot attracted high-profile guests, including actor Matthew Fox and model Adriana Lima. The opening featured an exhibition of the work of famed photographer Howard Bingham, a lifetime friend of Muhammad Ali, who recorded Ali's career on camera.
"The opening of this Flagship Boutique in New York City is very special for us," explains IWC CEO Georges Kern. "It not only reflects our unique identity and provides an exceptional customer experience, it also marks a return to our American heritage as our new 'house of stories.' We are looking forward to welcoming our guests at this marvelous location and inviting them to experience IWC's spirit and philosophy." In fact Florentine Ariosto Jones, the legendary entrepreneur who launched the International Watch Company in 1868, was American.
The Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali is modeled unmistakably on an IWC legend: the historic Big Pilot's Watch of 1940. The clearly organized matte-black dial, the arrowhead index at "12 o'clock" and the bold, luminescent numerals and hands guarantee minute-perfect legibility of the time, regardless of the light.
The case back bears the official logo of Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday. Only a month ago, IWC auctioned off a unique version of this exclusive edition on behalf of Celebrity Fight Night, donating the entire proceeds to the Muhammad Ali Center. To underline their common intentions, a part of the proceeds from sales of the limited edition will be used to support the Sportsman of the Century's charitable causes. "I am already a proud owner of this beautiful timepiece. And, as a watch lover, I am very happy that IWC's social commitment honors this limited edition," notes Muhammad Ali, whose daughter Miya represented him on the occasion of the Flagship Boutique opening.
Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali FEATURES:
Mechanical movement
Pellaton automatic winding
Date display
Power reserve display
Central hacking seconds
Glucydur®** beryllium alloy balance
Breguet spring, screw-in crown
Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure
Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali MOVEMENT
Calibre: 51111
Frequency: 21,600 A/ h / 3 Hz
Jewels: 42
Power reserve: 168 h
Winding: automatic
Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali WATCH
Materials: 18 carat white gold case, matte-black dial, hands and appliqués highlighted with signal-
red Super-LumiNova®**, black alligator leather strap with red inner lining, folding clasp in white
gold
Back: white gold, special back engraving including signature of Muhammad Ali
Glass: sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Water-resistant: 6 bar
Diameter: 46 mm
Height: 16 mm
The exclusive watch is sold in an impressive package – together with the monumental tome "GOAT – Greatest of All Time." Weighing 75 pounds and measuring 20×20 inches, with over 3,000 illustrations by more than 150 photographers and artists, the book is a celebration of Muhammad Ali's life and a literary event in its own right. The new Flagship Boutique premieres a display of 12 black-and-white photographs selected from GOAT. All were taken by Howard Bingham, the personal photo-biographer and lifetime friend of Muhammad Ali. During his exclusive presentation at the event, he also shared first-hand stories behind the images with the fascinated audience. The photographs are on display in IWC's Flagship Boutique until the end of May 2012 and provides customers with access to stories about the legendary sportsman, amid the emotions which accompany the watch families in IWC's new house of stories.
