Maria Luisa Mamusa is a Sardinia-born watch designer at IWC Schaffhausen based between Milan and Schaffhausen. © Jonnie Craig
“Watches and jewellery, play a similar role in communicating a somewhat understated message about the wearer. I don’t mean understated in terms of value, but rather in the sense that they’re not usually the first layer to be perceived.”
Please tell your background, how did you start designing and where did you get trained?
(Maria Luisa Mamusa, Watch Designer at IWC) My background is a combination of industrial design, which is quite technical, and jewellery design, a passion I’ve had since I was a child. I started making my own jewellery before I even learned how to read or write, using beads. Throughout my life, I’ve always wanted to be a jewellery designer; it was a very girly hobby that I hoped to turn into a profession. However, I come from a family with very traditional jobs, as both my parents are lawyers, and they initially encouraged me to pursue a classic education, unrelated to drawing or arts and crafts. Only later, at the university level, did I dive into the more creative world of design. I enrolled at Politecnico di Milano, where I obtained a degree in Industrial Design. Alongside this, to follow my passion, I took short courses in jewellery at Poli.Design and Central Saint Martins.
(MLM) At university, I had the opportunity to meet Alba Cappellieri, the Design School Director, who introduced me to a scholarship for Creative Academy, the Richemont Group’s Design School in Milano. This is where my journey really began; I completed a Master of Arts in Design and Applied Arts, where I gained the required skills and practices to become a designer within a luxury house, experiencing first hand working with Richemont brands. At Creative Academy, we received specialised training in leather goods, watches, and jewellery. At the end of the Master’s program, I was selected for an internship at IWC Schaffhausen by Christian Knoop, the Creative Director of the brand. So, as I like to say, I didn’t choose watch design, but watch design chose me.
“Initially, I wasn’t particularly interested in watch design and I still recall being extremely reluctant about moving to Switzerland; my dream was to go to Paris and work with diamonds!”
(MLM) I am incredibly grateful to Christian Knoop, who kickstarted my career in the watch industry. I was probably chosen over the other students because of my industrial design background and because my personal style has always been quite clean and genderless, aligning with IWC’s design language and DNA. Initially, I wasn’t particularly interested in watch design and I still recall being extremely reluctant about moving to Switzerland; my dream was to go to Paris and work with diamonds! Nevertheless, destiny ran its course and in 2011, I arrived in Schaffhausen for my first internship and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the product, the atmosphere, and the team. After completing my internship, I moved into positions at Jaeger-LeCoultre and Tiffany & Co. until 2020, when I eventually returned to IWC because I still cherished both the brand and the people.
What prompted you to return to IWC after working with a company like Tiffany & Co, for example?
(MLM) The people working there. I really appreciate IWC’s corporate culture and work environment. Throughout my career I was lucky enough to work with great managers and colleagues, in fact, the main reason I left Tiffany was because part of my team had departed, including my director. It was never about leaving Tiffany itself. I continue to hold a great level of affection for the brand and admire its products. But with my team gone, I returned to Milan to focus on jewellery when the opportunity at IWC arose. To expand the product offering into the ladies’ watch business, I saw the possibility to bring a more feminine touch to the product without resorting to dainty clichés or diluting the brand DNA. I still consider it a great professional challenge.
(MLM) However, the main reason I returned to IWC was the the people working for the company. For a designer, the brand and products are super important, of course, but if you don’t get along or don’t share the same vision with your team and manager, it can be very hard. And I am not talking about the designer’s style, taste, personality, or ego, but about clarity, understanding and creative workflow. For me, it’s necessary to be in intellectual harmony with my colleagues, aligned in our thought processes, and belong to a similar mindset. At IWC I’ve known Christian Knoop (the Creative Director) and Matthias Kummer (the Head of Design) since I was a young intern and, by now, I feel I can understand their preferences and reference points without needing too much explanation. I usually grasp their ideas quickly and instinctively, which makes working with them seamless. While working with them is easy, designing watches is never an easy task! Good design is always challenging.
“It’s like a second skin to me because I’ve been wearing a watch since I was a child, and always on my left wrist.”
Why are watches so important to us?
(MLM) Personally, it’s like a second skin to me because I’ve been wearing a watch since I was a child, and always on my left wrist. It’s an object completely ingrained in my everyday life; I rely on it to check the time and date, and I do everything with it. I even shower and sleep with it, as I can’t even feel its weight, just like you would with a signet ring. I take my watch off only to switch to another one. In more general terms, for many people, watches serve as a means of expression, similar to other accessories like handbags, shoes and jewellery. Especially watches and jewellery, in my opinion, play a similar role in communicating a somewhat understated message about the wearer. I don’t mean understated in terms of value, but rather in the sense that they’re not usually the first layer to be perceived. Clothing, on the other hand, tends to be more immediately noticeable, making a bold and direct statement. A watch or a fine piece of jewellery is a subtle detail which you might only catch on second glance, or if you observe it closely. I am a curious person and I enjoy the stories these objects tell about us. if you pay attention, they can portray conformism or eccentricity, elegance or vulgarity while simultaneously carrying a deep level of sentimental value.
“All my girlfriends asked for handbags and jewellery, but I wanted a Pepsi. It’s considered a men’s watch, but I saw my aunt wearing one all her life, and I just fell in love with the style.”
What is the watch you wear everyday like a second skin?
(MLM) Speaking about sentimental value, it’s a Rolex GMT II which I received when I turned 18 and graduated. All my girlfriends asked for handbags and jewellery, but I wanted a Pepsi. It’s considered a men’s watch, but I saw my aunt wearing one all her life, and I just fell in love with the style. I’ve since discovered that this reference was produced only from 1989 to 2007, which, coincidentally, I was born in 1989 and graduated in 2007, making it even more special to me.
“When I initially started again with IWC, my task was to design timepieces for a female clientele and reviving the Portofino collection.”
Please tell me a little bit about the watch you designed at IWC
(MLM) When I initially started again with IWC, my task was to design timepieces for a female clientele and reviving the Portofino collection, making it more modern and appealing in today’s world. It was a challenging yet flattering choice, and I believe it suited me well, being Italian and a woman, aligning with the target audience.
(MLM) While the initial focus was on ‘ladies’ watches, I feel that in modern society, the concept of ladies’ and men’s watches is diminishing, and watches have become a genderless product. So, I thought about the the values that IWC is known for, such as engineering, technique, and performance, and what women would want from IWC. The challenge was to make these watches appealing to women without losing the essence of the brand. The inspiration didn’t come looking to the sky or thinking about butterflies; it was all about rethinking the product and pushing forward some needed adjustments, such as size and strap considerations, which led to a comprehensive redesign not only of women’s models but also other pieces in the collection. We reworked the Automatic 37, the Moon Phase 37, and the Automatic 34, and introduced new complications in smaller sizes, like the 34-millimetre Day and Night model. Since we believed that everyone would appreciate seeing the movement, we opened all the case backs using sapphire crystal; on the ladies’ models, with the Calibre 32, as well as on the Perpetual Calendar and on the 39-millimetre Chronograph, which could be worn by both men and women.
(MLM) When it came to diamond settings, we departed from the traditional approach of small, discreet diamonds and opted for larger, more prominent diamonds set on flat bezels to catch the light and make a bold statement, which was a significant transformation. As part of the overall restyling, we launched a new metal bracelet option. The Portofino collection originally featured a stainless-steel Milanese mesh bracelet, which was beautiful but not very ergonomic due to the adjustability of the mesh. Therefore, we switched to a five-link bracelet that can be fully adjusted for comfort. This change was driven by the importance of ergonomics, a key consideration for both men and women nowadays. Another noticeable change was the strap, as we introduced new calfskin bands made of traceable leather sourced in Switzerland, where the animal welfare standard is one of the highest in the world. Compared to classic alligator straps, the overall look and feel are younger and more contemporary, a key factor in appealing to a female market. The reviews from clients have been positive, also on the wearability, because the material is softer and much more comfortable.
