Gisele Bündchen Talks Watches, Fashion and Family with IWC at Miami’s Art Basel – WWD

MIAMI — As Art Basel Miami kicks into high gear, Swiss watch brand IWC hosted a live talk with supermodel and environmentalist Gisele Bündchen. The former Victoria’s Secret model counts as the watch brand’s first environmental and community projects adviser since 2022.

Bündchen has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program since 2009, engaging with causes that advocate for biodiversity and wildlife and has been honored by Harvard University and UCLA for her longstanding commitment to environmental issues.

With Miami’s Bass Museum set as the backdrop, Bündchen was accompanied onstage by stylist and Hodinkee’s style editor Malaika Crawford, where they discussed how she balances a fully packed schedule, her affinity for color-coded calendars for her and her family, “me time,” and, most importantly, family time. 

Time plays a significant role in life, representing milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, but it also helps us organize our daily lives and activities — these were all facets that Bündchen elaborated on.

“Time is the most valuable thing we have. You know, none of us get more than 24 hours in a day, we don’t get more and whenever the day is done, it’s really our most precious currency,” Bündchen said.

The supermodel also reflected on her experience working with publisher Taschen on her book, which celebrates her 20-year milestone in the industry with a collection of photos from such industry luminaries as Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, David LaChapelle, Juergen Teller and Inez & Vinoodh.

“It was really fun to work on that because, you know, sometimes in life we just kind of race through life and we’re just like next thing, the next thing, the next thing and is very, you know, it was a great moment for me to kind of start on time and take the reader and see what I’ve done in the last 20 years. When I was doing that project and just to see the different kinds of characters I got to play and see my evolution,” Bündchen said.

The talk pivoted into the design legacy of watch designer Gérald Genta and celebrated the Ingenieur Automatic 40, a timepiece that combines modern aesthetics with top-notch ergonomics and technology. Gisele donned the aqua-dialed Ingenieur Automatic 40 at the live talk and her passion for the timepiece was evident, as she praised its versatility and comfort for her on-the-go lifestyle.

“When you do something that is really well thought out and it can last forever, you can see it doesn’t go out of style, right? What I love about this watch also is that you can wear it as a sporty option. I’m a sporty girl so I’m always, you know, moving around, but it can also be really cool in the evening. You can do anything from red carpets to everyday like running around mom style and it looks good with everything and it’s very comfortable,” the IWC ambassador said.

Bündchen’s love for big watches was also a topic during the talk, as the model has been seen sporting bigger watch models since the early 2000s.

“I think a big watch is like a statement, like if you wear something really basic, like me, which is pretty much what I like to wear, when you wear a bigger watch, you can make it look right if you’re wearing something really basic with a nice big watch, and it becomes kind of like a piece of jewelry,” Bündchen said.

The talk culminated with Bündchen’s works on the horizon, and although the busy mother has no current projects besides the construction of her future Miami home, she was able to share one final tidbit for those who always seem to be running light on time.

“I have to tell you, having a moment to free yourself to breathe and to really just kind of, you know, nourish yourself first, I think it goes a long way. So doing that in the morning for me, I feel a huge difference. So if I can give one tip it is to like to take this moment, whatever moment that may be, whatever it is that is good for you that makes you feel good,” Bündchen stated.