Square Mile’s Wine & Watches evening with Robert Mondavi Winery and IWC

There are few pairings more natural than fine wine and fine watchmaking. Both are products of patience, precision and an almost obsessive attention to detail, while the finest examples of each have a habit of getting better with time.

It was a fitting combination, then, for Square Mile’s latest Wine & Watches evening, which brought together Robert Mondavi Winery and IWC at 1 Warwick, one of London’s most exclusive private members’ clubs.

The occasion was particularly special for one of our hosts: 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of Robert Mondavi Winery, a milestone year that has also seen the grand reopening of its historic Oakville estate following a three-year transformation.

For IWC, meanwhile, it was an opportunity to showcase the engineering and watchmaking that have made it one of Switzerland’s most recognisable manufacturers.

A Meeting of Masters

The evening brought together two brands that, at first glance, might seem to have little in common: a Swiss watchmaker based on the banks of the Rhine and a Californian winery in the heart of Napa Valley. Look a little closer, however, and their stories begin to resemble each other in rather unexpected ways.

Both were founded on an ambitious vision of what could be achieved by looking beyond established conventions. In 1868, Boston-born watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones crossed the Atlantic to Schaffhausen with the idea of combining American manufacturing methods with Swiss watchmaking expertise. The result was the International Watch Company, or IWC as it is better known today.

Almost a century later, Robert Mondavi took the opposite journey in spirit, looking towards the great châteaux of France for inspiration while remaining firmly rooted in California. Convinced that Napa Valley could produce wines capable of standing alongside the Grand Crus of Bordeaux, he established the first major winery in the region since the Prohibition era.

Both men were prepared to challenge convention, and both built their reputations on a belief that innovation and tradition could work hand in hand. It is a philosophy that continues to define the two brands today.

Six Decades of Robert Mondavi

Robert Mondavi 60th Anniversary Commemorative Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Kurtis Ogasawara, Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi

There was an especially good reason to raise a glass to Robert Mondavi Winery. Founded in 1966, it has spent six decades helping establish Napa Valley as one of the world’s great wine regions.

Its anniversary year has been marked by the reopening of its Oakville estate this April, following a three-year transformation. The project represents the first full-scale update of the property since it was originally built, and the occasion has been commemorated with a limited-edition 60th Anniversary Commemorative Cabernet Sauvignon 2023.

The evening's wine programme offered guests an opportunity to explore the breadth of Robert Mondavi Winery's collection. The anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon was joined by The Estate Carneros Chardonnay 2022, The Estate Oakville CSV 2021 and The Estate Fumé 2021. The selection also included To Kalon Reserve Fumé 2023 and To Kalon Vineyard Co Eliza's 2018.

Guiding guests through the selection was Kurtis Ogasawara, Director of Winemaking at Robert Mondavi. Sharing the stories behind the bottles and the winemaking philosophy that has shaped the winery's reputation, Ogasawara offered an insight into six decades of Californian winemaking. From Chardonnay and Fumé to the Cabernet Sauvignon for which Napa Valley is so celebrated, the selection provided a fitting snapshot of the estate's diverse portfolio.

Engineering Excellence

There were similarly compelling stories to be found on the watchmaking side of the evening. IWC has spent generations bringing together traditional Swiss craftsmanship and a forward-looking approach to engineering, with a history that includes everything from the Pilot’s watches born in the cockpit to its longstanding partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team.

Some of its most significant innovations have become integral to the brand’s identity. The Pellaton winding system, patented in 1946, remains an important part of IWC’s mechanical watchmaking, while the manufacture was also an early adopter of titanium for watch cases, embracing a material more commonly associated with aerospace engineering at a time when much of the industry remained wedded to traditional metals.

Then there is the work of legendary IWC watchmaker Kurt Klaus, whose ingenious perpetual calendar mechanism remains one of the great achievements in modern horology. Introduced in the 1980s, the system automatically accounts for the varying lengths of months and leap years, keeping the correct date until 2499 without requiring manual adjustment.

It is precisely this combination of technical ingenuity and respect for traditional watchmaking that has helped define IWC for more than 150 years.

A Toast to Craftsmanship

As the evening unfolded, guests enjoyed Robert Mondavi Winery's collection while taking in the watchmaking of IWC, with the two brands offering rather different but complementary interpretations of what it means to pursue excellence.

From the vineyards of Oakville to the workshops of Schaffhausen, both have spent generations demonstrating that heritage need not stand in the way of progress. Indeed, it is often the foundation upon which the most interesting innovations are built.

With 60 years of Robert Mondavi Winery to celebrate, and more than 150 years of IWC watchmaking to admire, there was certainly plenty to raise a glass to.

Thanks to all our partners in this event: robertmondaviwinery.com | iwc.com | maslows.com