IWC legend - Kurt Klaus

Kurt Klaus joined the IWC in 1957 and since then, being able and dedicated watchmaker, has gained fame and respect as a legend not only own brand, but also the entire Swiss watch industry. He is the undisputed authority for all time masters of the present and one of the greatest, but oddly enough not the most famous watchmakers in the world. His work could ascend to the summit of Mount Olympus, any watch brands, not to mention the fact that Kurt Klaus could easily create their own brand, but he preferred to remain the heart of IWC - to the last true professional.

Today, Kurt Klaus works as the technical adviser in manufacturing and is the so-called advanced, all-knowing guru, and full of ideas of the company. Kurt has more than seventy years, but this had no effect on its highest level of professionalism. More than half a century he spent with IWC Schaffhausen.

Kurt Klaus joined the IWC watch company in 22 years - immediately after watch school  Solothurn. However, this may be aware the owners of Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition Kurt Klaus, released not long ago in honor of the great masters, but certainly few are aware that Kurt Klaus was involved in the birth of the famous A. Lange & Sohne. It so happened that in 1991, Gunter Blumlein asked Kurt Klaus to share their experiences with designers A. Lange & Sohne. So for five years, Kurt has worked in Glashütte. However, to call this "betrayal" IWC can not, because the firm A. Lange & Sohne was founded with the direct participation of the IWC.

Even six months before the official registration of A. Lange & Sohne is Kurt Klaus has created a concept of their famous clock Lange 1 - German colleagues could only calculate and implement the prototype of all the achievements of Kurt Klaus. The wizard then retired, but the new director of IWC Georges Kern, again invited him to IWC, assuring that such an experienced and qualified employee is a must - Kurt, of course, agreed, and returned to the company.

The main achievement of Kurt Klaus IWC, as he admits himself, is a perpetual calendar movement with a chronograph Da Vinci, released back in 1984, when the watch Da Vinci had a completely different look. Kurt Klaus developed this clock mechanism at a time when there was no any computer - all were counted only in the head and on paper. The first watch IWC Da Vinci were all made by hand.

However, not all developments have seen the light of Kurt Klaus - he always paid much attention to the development of prototypes and innovation, always comparing clockwork with muscles, which must be constantly trained. He thought out arrangements, built prototypes, modify them, and so on. This is both a search for new products, training and "thinking time", even if the prototype had not gone into mass production.

Speaking of mass production. If the first hours of Da Vinci Kurt Klaus did in splendid isolation, but now the IWC has a team of young professionals, behind which the school watchmakers and engineers school - mandatory education set any professional watchmaker. Now works in the IWC, along with Kurt and his granddaughter, Catherine - she was his assistant and helps in the development of prototypes.

Ironically, the scientist and engineer Kurt Klaus - a brilliant professional, for which there are no tricks of the trade - not collecting watches. Instead, he collects Russian nesting dolls.