World class timepieces

Schaffhausen was chosen due to the river Rhine which passed through the town providing hydroelectric power. The reason being his idea of using progressive American production techniques, combined with Swiss watchmakers known-how to manufacture timepieces, was not entirely appreciated at the time in Geneva and the Jura. IWC’s success amplified after WWII – during the war it distinguished itself making mil-spec pilot’s watches, which connoisseurs still go mad over. After it developed a remarkable self-winding mechanism with a bi-directional rotor; housed inside the Ingenieur – a collection still in the brand’s catalogue today. Today IWC Schaffhausen has an international reputation for providing exquisite timepieces that exude an aura of retro-sophistication; the types of watches that accompany can-do sorts on their adventures. It embraces the very latest timekeeping innovations, progressively eliminating the use of third-party movements. It has also been pioneering when it comes to managing social and environmental impacts responsibly. It was the first Swiss watch brand to take Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards as a benchmark for its first sustainability report published in 2018. It committed to cutting greenhouse gases by 10%, reducing packaging weight and volume by 30%, reduce absence by 10% by improving health and well-being, and reach gender equality in training by 2020. IWC Schaffhausen was recognised by Positive Luxury as a ‘Luxury Brand to Trust’ since 2014 – allowing them to display its Butterfly Award in each of their Boutiques worldwide, engaging clients in their sustainability story. We have enjoyed a partnership with IWC spanning over three decades and we were privileged to partner with them on the opening of the IWC boutique, located in the heart of London, at the Watches of Switzerland showroom in 155 Regent Street.

We have also partnered with IWC on several exclusive timepieces, and we work collaboratively on marketing initiatives across social media, as well as hosting events and experiences. A highlight event of 2021 was the IWC BIG PILOT roadshow – an innovative, interactive client experience that guided the public and clients through the story of IWC and brought the BIG PILOT collection to life. This touring ‘roadshow’ appeared in a number of key cities in the UK and states in the US, allowing us to host our highly valued clients in an immersive experience, which gained huge PR coverage. To support the roadshows, IWC created 3D animated content to showcase on major outdoor advertising sites, including Piccadilly Lights in London, and we covered this spectacular activation through our digital channels across social media, CRM and across our Calibre channels. IWC has also partnered with Airspeeder on the world’s first motorsport series for electric flying cars. We covered this in our in-house print title Calibre, and we’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing their CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr for our Calibre podcast. 2022 sees the Hollywood Blockbuster ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ released, adding to the association of IWC Pilot’s watches and the Top Gun flight school.