A Passion for the Past

Talking heritage and ceramics with IWC Museum Curator Dr. David Seyffer.

- By Martin Green

For the past 15 years, Dr. David Seyffer has immersed himself on a daily basis in the history of IWC. Serving as the brand's Museum Curator, he has an inquisitive nature, soaking up knowledge whenever and wherever he can. This perpetual quest also led him to join IWC in 2007. A historian at heart, Dr. Seyffer experienced early on in his career that job opportunities in this field are not evenly distributed over the different topics. This led him to specialize in the history of technology. His timing couldn't be more perfect, as many automotive brands had learned that their history could also be utilized to market their modern-day products and further strengthen their brand image. Being from Stuttgart, Dr. Seyffer found himself joining Mercedes Benz in what was a very new position for a professional historian. Eager to further develop himself, in 2007, he started to work toward a doctorate in History of Natural Science, Technics and History. This let him to approach IWC, an almost obvious choice given the brand's passion for cars and racing, as well as its partnership with MercedesAMG. It was impeccable timing, as the brand opened its museum in that very same year and was looking for somebody to manage its archives. It was a win-win for all parties involved, earning Dr. Seyffer not only a doctorate but also a job. Two years later, he became head of the department and the brand's Museum Curator.

Talking with Dr. Seyffer is always a treat, particularly when we discuss his profession and the history of IWC. He is so driven by passion, backed by vast amounts of knowledge, that one topic organically leads to another, and a one-hour interview seems to pass in mere minutes.