IWI's Number 12

This just in from IWI -

IWI WATCHES LAUNCHES UNIQUE CELEBRATION TIMEPIECE, THE “NUMBER 12” AT THE END OF THE WORLD (MAYBE?)

Courtesy of IWI

Wednesday the 12th of December, 2012 is actually a rather interesting day.  It will be another 1000 years until the date singularity of the 12th hour of the 12th day of the 12th month of the 12th year of the millennium reoccurs.  Putting aside, just for now, the Mayan prediction of the end of the world on the 21st of December this year and also the fact that our Sun will, during this month, be perfectly aligned with the centre of our Galaxy (an event which itself happens only every 26,000 years) the uniqueness of this date has become the cause for much horological musing - given the influence of the celestial heavens on how we tell the time.To understand these musings a little better we should appreciate that the unique usefulness and significance of the number 12 has actually been recognized by mathematicians, scientists, meta-physicists and society in general since the beginning of recorded human history.

The usefulness of this number derives from its divisibility. There are relatively few small numbers that can be evenly divided into so many subsets.  The number 12 can be evenly divided into halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and twelfths.  Obviously, multiples of 12, by definition, also retain this divisibility.This inherent divisibility is the reason that the number 12 and its multiplies are so intertwined within our society.  We use it extensively for time logistics, we use it extensively for space logistics, in fact, we use it rather a lot.The common consensus is that the Egyptians introduced and lived by the first 12 month calendar.  It was later modified by the Romans but still retained the 12 month format.  The lunar cycle with its superstitious overtones and tidal effects was abandoned by both cultures with emphasis placed on the solar cycle.The division of the day into 24 (2 times 12) increments (hours) has been in existence since the beginning of timekeeping.  This is followed by the designation of minutes (5 times 12) which equals 1/60 or 1 minute.  In turn this is again followed by seconds (5 times 12) which equals 1/60 or 1 second.

At almost the same time as this unique event, December 21st 2012 marks the conclusion of the 5,125-year "Long Count" Mayan calendar which predicts, albeit rather vaguely, the “end of the World”.  The prediction has seen the panic buying of candles and essentials in China and Russia and an explosion in sales of survival shelters in America.  In France hundreds of believers are preparing to converge on a mountain where they believe aliens will rescue them.English luxury watchmaking company, IWI Watches Limited, in recognition of both of these unique events will launch a celebration watch, the “Number 12” on 12.12.12 at 12 noon.  The “IWI Number 12” represents the significance of an event which happens once only every 1000 years with number “12” markings at all four quarters of the Britain Collection Stainless Steel watch (BSM312).

In recognition of the significance of the year, the British Stainless Steel case is hand engraved with Mayan serpent date symbols from the Dresden Codex, the ancient scroll which explains the Long-Count calendar thought by some to signify the end of the world.   The IWI Britain Collection “Number 12” contains the finest quality chronometer-standard Swiss Automatic movement used in all of IWI Watches Gents timepieces.  The IWI Watches “Number 12” will be produced in a limited number of 12 individually numbered pieces on 21st December 2012.

www.iwiwatches.com

Peter Stevens Joins IWI as Design Consultant

This just in from IWI -

Award winning Automotive Designer Peter Stevens Joins English Watchmaker IWI Watches as Design Consultant 

Courtesy of IWI

English luxury watchmakers, IWI Watches, is delighted to welcome the renowned designer Peter Stevens to the company as Design Consultant.

Peter Stevens is one of the UK’s best-known international car designers. He has won numerous honours for his work which includes creating road and race cars for McLaren, most notably, the McLaren F1 which is regarded as one of the greatest supercars of all time. Peter also created designs for Lamborghini, BMW, Lotus and Prodrive among others. 


Cars designed by Peter are in automotive collections across the world and have been shown at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as well as London’s Design Museum. He’s also been nominated twice as the UK’s HRH Prince Phillip Designer of the Year as well as being Visiting Professor of Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art having taught the top designers now working at Aston Martin, Jaguar, Ferrari and Lotus to name just a few. 

Courtesy of IWI

Both of Peter’s parents were artists and his uncle, Denis Jenkinson, was the motoring journalist who read pace notes alongside Stirling Moss in the Mercedes Benz 300 SLR that won the 1955 Mille Miglia road race.

     

“I am absolutely delighted that Peter has agreed to join the team at IWI Watches”, said Tim Nadin, CEO. “To have someone of the international calibre of Peter guiding us on our design direction for the future is quite extraordinary and marks a new chapter for IWI Watches. The McLaren F1 has written itself into the imagination of car enthusiasts worldwide as one of the most timeless designs in supercar history and now Peter will capture time itself within the future horological creations of IWI Watches.” 


Among Peter’s best known road and race designs are the 1999 Le Mans-winning BMW, the Lotus Elan, the Lotus Esprit revision, Jaguar’s XJR-15 and the Subaru Impreza P1 road car as well as the world rally series-winning Subaru Impreza WRCs. During his career, Peter has worked with many of the world’s leading transportation companies, including Automobili Lamborghini, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Rolls-Royce and Subaru. 

Courtesy of IWI

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity of a new challenge in the horological world,” commented Peter Stevens, Design Consultant to IWI Watches. “I’ve always had a great passion for the precise and detailed mechanical engineering of watches as I have for cars. But, in the same way as the cars I’ve designed, it’s the package - the case, the watch face, the hands, the crown and even the strap and various mechanisms around these areas which encase the movement that are most obvious and where the aesthetic and tactile originality is. I’ve been very privileged to have designed for some fantastic automotive companies in my career and I’m really looking forward to working with IWI Watches with their on-going product design programme.”

www.iwiwatches.com