Ep. 180: Discussing IWC's 2021 Novelties with CEO Chris Grainger

Today on the Worn & Wound podcast, we welcome Chris Grainger, the CEO of IWC. We talk to Chris about IWC’s latest tech-forward watches, take a deep dive into their unique ceratanium material, discuss the finer points of handset selection, and look forward to what IWC might have in store in the not too distant future. While we often associate IWC with their pilot’s watches, there’s a lot going on at the brand in terms of advancing new tech, and if you’re interested in interesting new watchmaking technologies, particularly as they relate to sports watches, you’ll want to give this one a listen. Before our interview with Chris, take a look at what we think was some pretty big news to drop a few weeks ago, and that’s a new release from Frederique Constant. The Slimline Monolithic Manufacture uses a silicon oscillator as a replacement for the balance and balance spring, which is a pretty major technological advancement that few brands have even attempted, and Frederique Constant has accomplished at a price point far below the likes of some of the Swiss luxury brands that have played in this market. We break down the new tech and give our thoughts on what this means for the brand in the first half of the podcast. To stay on top of all new episodes, you can subscribe to The Worn & Wound Podcast — now available on all major platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify, and more. You can also find our RSS feed here.And if you like what you hear, then don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes.If there’s a question you want us to answer you can hit us up at [email protected], and we’ll put your question in the queue.Show NotesZach W’s wrist check: Grand Seiko SBGA375Zach K’s wrist check: G-Shock GA2100Blake’s wrist check: IWC ref. 3706Frederique Constant Slimline Monolithic ManufactureFlexousFrederique Constant’s Perpetual CalendarTAG Heuer MikrogirderIWC Top Gun Chronograph SFTIIWC Tribute to 3705IWC’s expansive pilot’s watch collection