A 2019 Monochrome Watches post about smartwatches is not a product review or an IWC launch story. It is Frank Geelen’s enthusiastic recommendation of three humorous IWC videos, whose appeal lies in the contrast between smartwatch jokes, mechanical-watch tradition and the presence of veteran watchmaker Kurt Klaus.
What the Monochrome article is about
“A BIG Shout-Out to IWC and Kurt Klaus (About Smartwatches…)” is a short “Just Because” editorial by Frank Geelen, published by Monochrome Watches on November 25, 2019. The post takes about two minutes to read and discusses three IWC videos featuring Klaus and a smartwatch. Read the original article.
Its focus is IWC’s advertising and the personality behind the films, not smartwatch hardware. Geelen says Monochrome generally concentrates on mechanical watches—their construction, history, cultural meaning and use in exploration—and presents these videos as an exception worth making for their humor and Klaus’s involvement. The article is also indexed in Monochrome’s “Just Because” archive, IWC category, Social Media tag and Watch Talk tag.
Why Kurt Klaus is central to the story
Klaus is the post’s horological anchor: Geelen presents him as both an accomplished watchmaker and a gentleman. The article credits him with co-developing IWC’s Doppelchronograph, a split-seconds chronograph, and the Deep One, a diving watch with an integrated mechanical depth gauge. It also says Klaus developed a perpetual-calendar module that was still used in IWC watches when the post appeared in 2019. These are the article’s attributions; they should not be read as claims that Klaus alone invented every watch or component mentioned.
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What happens in the three “A SMART WATCH – AND A HALF” videos
The campaign title styles “SMART WATCH” as two words. The three films use smartwatch-related themes as comic contrasts with expectations formed by traditional watches:
- Setting the time zones: The setup plays on the familiar task of managing time zones.
- Power reserve: The theme turns on the different expectations associated with a mechanical watch’s power reserve and a smartwatch’s battery endurance; the article does not offer a technical comparison of the two.
- Service intervals and updates: This film juxtaposes mechanical-watch servicing with software updates, without establishing particular service schedules or update policies.
Geelen presents them as short promotional entertainment, not as a formal product announcement, demonstration or comparison test. The post identifies their subjects but does not provide production details, performance figures or evidence of a broader campaign strategy.
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The advertising nostalgia behind Geelen’s praise
Geelen connects the videos to IWC advertising from the early 2000s, which he recalls as humorous, irreverent and willing to provoke discussion. He says those campaigns helped him like the brand, and sees the new films as a return to that less solemn tone. His enthusiasm is personal rather than a claim that every viewer found the campaign successful: he also acknowledges that some older advertisements were controversial or “not correct.”
That context explains why the smartwatch angle does not amount to a change in Monochrome’s editorial focus. The device is a foil for the joke; Klaus supplies a link to mechanical watchmaking; and the advertising style is the point Geelen wants readers to notice.
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- Adjustable Double Buckle Design: Equipped With Double Buckle Structure To Support Flexible Length Adjustment, Users Can Freely Alter The Tightness According To Personal Wearing Habits.
- Long Style Structure: Adopts Extended Long Style Layout, Which Fits Diverse Wrist Circumferences And Meets Different Wearing Preferences For Daily Collocation.
- Universal Compatibility: Designed To Match Most Square Style Smartwatch Cases, Serving As Daily Replacement Accessory For Wearable Watch Devices.
- Custom Pattern Option: Supports Different Decorative Patterns Via Design Name Variable, Enriching The Appearance Choices Of Your Watch Accessories.
What the post does—and does not—say about sponsorship
Geelen explicitly says the post is not sponsored, while explaining that he likes Klaus, appreciates his inventions and enjoys IWC’s earlier advertising. That is the author’s disclosure in this article, not independent verification of every commercial relationship involving IWC and Monochrome.
What not to mistake it for
- It is not a review or buying guide for a smartwatch.
- It does not announce that IWC launched or sells a consumer smartwatch.
- It does not compare smartwatch brands, specifications or battery performance.
- It is a 2019 commentary piece, not current product news or proof of present-day product availability.
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