There is no doubt that IWC's new integrated facility is its pride and joy, and one that it is proud to show to the world. In our second outing to the heart of German-speaking Switzerland for the opening of the IWC Manufakturzentrum, there are absolutely no limits on photography or video-recording, and we practically breathe down the necks of some of the watchmakers. This is a far cry from four years ago, when we visited IWC's headquarters and its other key facility at nearby Neuhausen, and strict restrictions were placed on photography, as well as where we could venture.
We would want to show it off, too: Located in Merishausen, a Schaffausen municipality just a ten-minute drive away from the brand's headquarters on Baumgartenstrasse, the 13,500 sqm facility makes a definite first impression. Amid a thoroughly verdant setting, it is a long, low-lying building with a facade dominated by floor-to-ceiling glass windows and rigorously rectangular white concrete structures. Partly designed by the brand's CEO, Christoph Grainger-Herr "an architect and interior designer by training" the facility is meant to see IWC at least 50 years into the future.
07. VISITOR INTERACTION
Two watchmaker workstations let visitors get hands on with tools of the trade.
Moving forward, the brand expects to host more than 10,000 visitors to the Manufakturzentrum each year. There will be guided tours that are open to IWC customers, the media and the public. In fact, says Grainger- Herr: “Our next phase is to digitalise this experience; to make the Manufakturzentrum an experience for everybody around the globe. I’d love to do direct question-and-answer sessions from here that will be broadcast.”
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