IWC has released a video interview with Gérald Genta’s wife and daughter to mark the Ingenieur SL’s 50th anniversary, alongside two limited editions with brushed dials inspired by a 1970s version of the watch.
Fifty years after the Ingenieur SL arrived, IWC is letting the people who knew Gérald Genta best tell its story. The Schaffhausen brand has released a video interview with Evelyne Genta, the designer’s wife and business partner, and their daughter Alexia. It marks the anniversary of Reference 1832.
The interview also comes with two anniversary limited editions. That’s worth keeping in mind, because this is a heritage story with a product launch attached.
A 1976 Design That Still Shapes the Range
IWC introduced the Ingenieur SL in 1976. Genta, a Geneva-based artist and watch designer, gave it a stainless steel case that ran straight into an integrated bracelet. It is now seen as one of his defining steel luxury sports watches.
This goes beyond nostalgia. The modern Ingenieur, relaunched in 2023, borrows heavily from the same design language. IWC says the original’s DNA still guides the collection five decades on.
The Family’s Role in the Revival
Evelyne and Alexia founded the Gérald Genta Heritage Association. According to IWC, they were involved from the early stages of the Ingenieur’s comeback. The brand showed them prototypes of the Ingenieur Automatic 40 during development.
They then supported the relaunch at Watches and Wonders Geneva in 2023. They returned to IWC’s stand in 2026, when the range grew to include new models and the first Ingenieur with a tourbillon.
IWC says openly that reinterpreting an icon brings real responsibility. It says the family’s endorsement encourages it to keep developing the collection with respect for Genta’s heritage. A statement in the release also says Genta would have been pleased to see his original design preserved.
Inside the Interview
The conversation covers Genta as a husband, a father and a designer, including stories IWC describes as previously untold. Mother and daughter explain that he saw himself as an artist first, one who simply found his medium in watchmaking.
The Ingenieur is the clearest example of that thinking. Genta treated it as a single sculptural object, with the case, bracelet and clasp forming one continuous shape. He also chose steel at a time when luxury watchmaking didn’t yet consider it a worthy material.
There are lighter moments too. The family recalls how his fixation on harmony and proportion extended to choosing clothes, and even to arranging breakfast on a plate. Nice.
Two Anniversary Editions, Few Details So Far
The interview launches alongside two limited editions, references IW328910 and IW324909. Both have uniquely brushed dials inspired by a historic 1970s version of the Ingenieur SL.
Beyond that, the announcement says very little. IWC hasn’t given production numbers, case sizes, movements or pricing, so collectors will have to wait for full specifications.
Why It Matters for IWC
For IWC, the family’s support is a real asset. Any brand reinterpreting a Genta design invites comparison with the original. Having his wife and daughter involved since the prototype stage answers the authenticity question better than any marketing copy could. The dials of the anniversary pieces look straight back to the 1970s original. They don’t try to reinvent it.
