Gisele Bundchen Talks time, art and style with IWC Schaffhausen.
Earlier this month in Miami, during the Miami Art week, IWC Schaffhausen hosted an exclusive conversation with supermodel and brand ambassador Gisele Bündchen. The event, held against the backdrop of The Bass, Miami Beach’s contemporary art museum, brought together an elite audience eager to delve into the world of time, design, and personal style.
Gisele Bündchen, celebrated for her nearly three-decade-long influence in the fashion industry, shared her insights on the delicate balance between a hectic schedule, cherished “me time,” and naturally there was discussion about the new Ingenieur Automatic 40 introduced earlier this year by IWC Schaffhausen.
Inspired by the legacy of watch designer and artist Gerald Genta, the collection pays homage to the Ingenieur SL (Reference 1832) from the 1970s, which he conjured. With meticulous attention to ergonomics, finishing, and technology, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 is available in titanium and stainless steel variations, featuring a black dial, a silver-plated dial, and an aqua dial. The IWC-manufactured 32111 caliber powers the watch, boasting a remarkable 120-hour power reserve. To ensure durability, all models come with soft-iron inner cases for protection against magnetic fields and are water-resistant to 10 bar. Gisele Bündchen expressed her personal fondness for the Ingenieur Automatic 40 with striking aqua dial.
Describing it as a quintessential 21st-century sports watch, she emphasized the watch’s wearability and versatility, noting its stainless steel construction with an integrated bracelet as perfect for any occasion, from casual to formal. According to Gisele, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 is the kind of watch that can either serve as the centerpiece of an outfit or provide a polished finishing touch.
As to time and life, here is a short, edited excerpt from the conversation she had with Hodinkee watch editor, Malaika Crawford.
IWC Ingenieur 2023
Gisele Bündchen on the subject of art, style and fashion:
“I love art because I think that art is a wonderful expression of how we are feeling. And it really marks different times, you know? I think fashion is definitely a big form of art, because I feel kind of like a silent model is a fashion. It’s also capturing style in time. Also, fashion is fun because you get to play different roles, right? One day you feel a bit more sassy, sexier. Some days you feel more like tomboyish, some days you feel like you want to arrive and you want people to notice you. And sometimes you’re like, please don’t look at me. So sometimes you want to be comfortable and sometimes you want to be, like fatally on fire. You’re always finding different forms of expressing yourself, I guess.“
Gisele Bündchen on the subject of time management:
“I feel time is the most valuable thing we have. You know, none of us get more than 24 hours in a day. We don’t get more. And whenever it’s done. So, it’s really our most precious currency. And I’m very good about scheduling. I mean, I always have a watch on because I need to make sure that I’m always on time. I’m one of those people that likes to arrive five minutes before. I don’t I don’t like to be late. Um, and I think, you know, having a calendar is huge. I have actually a color coordinated calendar. Each of my children has a color. Work has a color, my personal activities have a color, because this way I can see that I’m spending time in all those different things that are very important to me. I’m flexible with changing things. But I like to have a plan because, you know, when you have a plan you can achieve, you can do a lot more.
In my personal life, I like to wake up really early because if I wake up before my kids wake up, I feel like I can get recharged and I have a time for myself. That has been huge for me, because I noticed that when I wasn’t doing that, I was not doing so well during the day. I was just not as patient. I was tired, I felt like it’s like giving from an empty cup. I get up at five in the morning.
it’s like the quietest time. Everyone is sleeping. It’s so peaceful. I can do my stretches, my yoga, my meditation. I can walk my dog. I can make breakfast for my kids before they are up. And then when they wake up, I can just cuddle with them and be with them and be present. It’s kind of like putting your phone on the charger, right? I feel like waking up earlier and doing this kind of routine for myself is like charging myself, filling my cup, and then I’m able to give from a place where I feel I have enough to give.”
Gisele Bündchen on the subject of IWC Ingenieur:
“The one with the aqua dial. I love that it was inspired by the river, which, you know, I’m a cancer — also water. So, it is like the element of water is part of me. Also, this watch is faithful to his [Gerald Genta’s] design. And when you do something that is really well, you know, that is really well thought out, it can last forever. It doesn’t go out of style. Right? That’s precisely what I love about this watch and also that you can wear it as a sporty watch, but it can also be really cool in the evening. And if it looks good with everything and it’s very comfortable. Comfort is first. For me, I’m past the point where I’m not wearing something that’s comfortable; I’ve paid my dues so comfort for me is key.”
