Future Ready

Georges Kern has always been a visionary – that’s why IWC is a market leader in every imaginable aspect.

- Celine Yap

As far as sweeping statements go, this one may actually be worth making: Georges Kern doesn’t care much for rules. He knows what they are, he just doesn’t believe in following all of them to a T. This is one brand leader who sees the difference between tradition and convention, and knows exactly what needs rejuvenation and what must be preserved – he was, at this time, the boss of a 148-year-old watch brand after all. Talk to Kern and you’ll get a sense that what matters to the 50-year-old swiss German is relevance. results matter too, but foremost is relevance. Consequently, his is the only high luxury brand that could conceivably make a thriving online business (NB: IWC isn’t the first but it is one of the most prominent). That IWC watches are now available on Net-A Porter and Mr. Porter cements Kern’s reputation as a trailblazer and brilliant strategist. No one has ever sold a hundred-plus thousand dollar timepiece online before, but if anyone could make it happen, it is Kern.

For 2017, IWC has brought the Da Vinci collection back after a 10-year hiatus. The watch now sports a round case rather than a tonneau one and according to Kern, this is purely a marketing driven decision. He has also stated that the new Da Vinci will complete IWC’s offering of timepieces, bringing a cultural angle into the picture that’s already dominated by sports and dress watches. This is undoubtedly the first of many strategic management manoeuvres to come, as Kern takes on his new role as head of watchmaking, marketing and digital for IWC’s parent company, the richemont Group. As of January 2017, Kern has also taken on the role of interim CEo for Jaeger-LeCoultre, following a second round of management reorganisation within richemont. In singapore for the 2016 singapore International Film Festival, he opens up on the Da Vinci collection, setting up retail channels online, and how to speak to the millennial audience.