Captain Kurt
We catch up with the legendary inventor behind IWC Schaffhausen’s crown-operated perpetual calendar system
It wouldn’t be an e xaggeration to say that Kurt Klaus was responsible for propelling IWC Schaffhausen back t o relevancyvancy with his innovative perpetual calendar in 1985. Brian Cheong caught up with the mast er watchmaker in Singapore
The name Kurt Klaus will forever be linked to IWC Schaffhausen, the Swiss watchmaking maison. A former apprentice of Albert Pellaton, another great IWC watchmaker, Klaus’ biggest claim to fame is the autonomous perpetual calendar that he created in 1985. Its renown is attributed to its ability to set all calendar functions with a single crown, instead of multiple pushers—the first time a perpetual calendar was able to do so. This was a big deal back then, as the innovation came at a time when mechanical Swiss watchmaking was still struggling to find its way back to the top, due to the dominance of quartz watches. “The perpetual calendar was—and perhaps still is—the most talked about IWC invention, not only because it was a new product but also because it kickstarted a new era of success for the company,” said Klaus when we met in Singapore for the IWC 150th Anniversary Exhibition in May. “It really brought IWC to the next level in Swiss watchmaking.” The hale and hearty Klaus, who turns 84 this year, joined IWC in 1957 and it is remarkable how he has remained dedicated and loyal to the company. But then again, they have been through a lot together. When the quartz crisis hit in the 1970s, Klaus witnessed most of his colleagues
getting laid off. “We went from 350 people working in the company to only 150; in my department, I was working alone,” he said. Although he officially retired in 1999, Klaus continued to clock in at the Schaffhausen manufacture. “I was working with young watchmakers (whom he liked to refer to as ‘engineers’) and imparting my knowledge and experience to them.” Klaus was being modest—he did more than just be a mentor to young and eager apprentices. Another high point in his career came in the year 2000, when Calibre 5000— a development that he led—was introduced in a Portugieser watch. Reviving the famous Pellaton pawl winding system created by Klaus’ own mentor in 1950, Calibre 5000 was the first IWC automatic movement with a 7-day power reserve. While he may be from the older generation, Klaus is excited about what new technology can bring to the craft of watchmaking. “I used to work everything out in my brain; now you can do anything with a computer,” he quipped. “I got my first computer only in 1988 when I was developing the minute repeater (IWC Grande Complication 3770) with Giulio Papi (of Renaud & Papi). That was the first time I went from the traditional drawing board to the computer.” As for IWC achieving its 150th year milestone, Klaus declared that it is a good age (for a watch manufacture). “It’s not too old,” he laughed. “I was with the company when it celebrated its 100th year in 1968 and then its 125th anniversary in 1993 when I helped to revive the Portugieser using the same movement from 1940. So it was wonderful for me to be able to do all these amazing things and see the growth of IWC.” These days, Klaus, who has a granddaughter working as a watchmaker at IWC, is happy kicking back and enjoying his retirement—this time, for real. He occasionally shows up at events such as the exhibition in Singapore as a brand ambassador, mainly because he enjoys interacting with IWC customers. “I have stopped actively working on movement construction for a good five years; I don’t even think about movements anymore. It’s the young people’s problem now!” he laughed.