March 20, 2017 | Travel, goodwood, Lifestyle, Watches,

Dramatic Motor Racing And New Design – Goodwood!

Beatrice Lessi

My Goodwood Weekend

Goodwood, 18-19 March: classic cars lovers meet for the 75^th Members Meeting . For those who are not familiar with this, it’s a noisy, smelly, smoky and, to my delight, very dramatic race where old timers flash their beautiful design and still incredible power. Set in the heart of the Sussex countryside and in typical British fashion, the whole atmosphere around the event is heavily coded.

Blue jeans, t-shirts, low cut or revealing tops, shorts, short skirts, flip-flops, sportswear, baseball caps and heavily branded clothing are strongly discouraged,

said the invitation. I decided for classic tweed blazer and cap, and managed to let my shorts go unnoticed. A fashion blogger has to break the rules a tiny bit. And here is the best part of the weekend: innovation was also highly encouraged. Press, influencers and media were invited to the launch of the new IWC Ingenieur collection.

Everybody wears IWC. From left: Clemens Von Walzel, Kamo Mafokwane from willkatelady, myself and Kim-Christopher Granz of Designlovr

With Chris Grainger-Herr, new CEO of IWC Schaffhausen

The New IWC Ingenieur

I am Italian, I was raised surrounded by beauty and I believe I can recognise beauty without hesitation. When I saw the presentation of the new Ingenieur collection by IWC’s Creative Director Christian Knoop, all I could think was: can I try one now?

I finally did try it, and immediately changed my posture. This watch is the detail that transforms a look – a design going back to its roots, but lighter and, overall, more elegant. The simple round case and the dial with its striking hands and indices with luminescent elements evoke the original 1955 watch. The 2017 version is a legend reborn.

Immaculate – the new IWC Ingenieur

A different posture, just wearing the new Ingenieur!

Almost On The Driver Seat

Together with the Ingenieur experience, the Goodwood weekend was packed with activities. What I appreciated most was being able to share time with the eccentric mix of drivers, British Lords, bankers, experts, collectors, media people and mobile-addicted influencers following the races from a privileged point of view. We were absolutely in the middle of action. We had access to the Race Circuit, the Goodwood Circuit Control Tower, the Paddocks, the VIP area, and could share the excitement of preparation and of the competition itself. I especially enjoyed meeting David Coulthard, who drove a $1M Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (with IWC logo) and blamed himself for being “too Scottish” and missing the chance to buy one in the 1990s. David joined the lavish private gala dinner hosted by Lord March at Goodwood House, on the opening night, and then most of the following activities. He was very friendly and always ready for a photo – a real professional who still loves racing.

David Coulthard in the beautiful IWC Mercedes

At the start, with David Coulthard

Clay Pigeon Shooting

My highlight? The clay pigeon shooting. Allright allright: I am a pacifist. I am against weapons. I see I contradict myself, here. But hey, this was fun! The Goodwood Clay Pigeon Shooting is a delightful (and safe) way to spend a day in the fresh air, but also a sport on its own right. The beautiful, hand-made engraved rifles by Purdey & Sons need 2 years of work and cost more than $100,000 each. I was given and extra light one and still couldn’t believe the power of recoil. IWC Pr Department Manager Clemens von Walzel and Designlovr founder Kim Christopher-Granz, who had no experience in shooting, displayed quite a remarkable talent and earned the nickname of “killers”. Sorry Clemens and Kim! I mean it nicely! I loved rooting for you guys and hope you can cultivate this sport further.

Clemens, myself, Kamo and Kim

Slightly scared of the Purdey & Sons rifles

The Loudest Fireworks Ever

A final surprise were the fireworks: accompanied by incredibly loud music, they were a dancing choreography that perfectly followed the beat. About 20,000 people joined the show and, in a once more very British fashion, politely queued up to the exit at the end.

Impressions

Images can describe something better than words, so I end up this blogpost with some beautiful pictures by David Biedert. A heartfelt thank you to IWC Schaffausen for the quality time and interesting experience in Goodwood- for sure I will visit it again.