iwc watch factory tour

IWC Factory Tour: Step Inside The Most State Of The Art Watch Factory In The World

Please don't tap on the glass. Watchmakers at work.

When you think of watch making many will imagine a small workshop somewhere in the backstreets of a town with a small, almost elf-like person toiling away making magnificent creations.

That was the case a few decades ago, but today in 2019, it’s a very different story.

IWC Schaffhausen, the Swiss watch brand has come a long way since 1868. In it’s 150 plus years, IWC has changed hands numerous times; from blue-blooded Swiss families to the car instrument company VDO, after which the Richemont Group purchased the IWC business in 2001.

IWC has always resided in the small Swiss town of Schaffhausen about one hour north of Zurich. The brand’s head office is located amongst the cobblestoned streets of the small Swiss town – a modest set of digs for one of the world’s biggest and more prestigious watch brands.

We catch up with IWC’s CEO Mr Christoph Grainger-Herr three days out from his biggest week of the year – SIHH – and he’s as cool as a cucumber.  He alludes to some of the highlights planned for the IWC Gala dinner, but is careful not to let the cat out of the bag.

Christoph was previously responsible for IWC’s aesthetic and the design of its trade fairs. Later moving away from the drafting table to work across product and sales and eventually rising to the top job after gorgeous Georges Kerns’ departure in 2018.

Chris’s office mixes IWC memorabilia with rich mahogany and his two carbon fibre BMC racing bicycles. An avid cyclist, Chris says that cycling in Switzerland isn’t so much fun when it’s -2 degrees, windy and snowing. While the others are laughing I’m totally fixated on an original silver Nokia 8810 neatly framed on his office wall. Chris explains that the Nokia 8810 was the very last mobile phone that you could fix entirely at home. Every part was removable and repairable. However, today finding the parts isn’t easy as these phones fetch over $2,000 on eBay.

IWC’s watchmaking facility was originally located in the head office building before the structure was entirely converted into the current-day offices and IWC Museum. Bursting at the seams due to consistent growth, the brand moved it’s 200 watchmakers, designers and engineers to a brand new state of the art facility a few kilometres just outside of Schaffhausen.

Under the watchful eye of Christoph Grainger-Herr, the new building was constructed in just 21 months. An imposing combination of glass, black frames and stainless steel, the building serves as a monument to the brand’s past 150 years and looks toward the next 150.

The new IWC Manufakturzentrum combines traditional watchmaking with state-of-the-art manufacturing methods and technologies. We stand in the snow like bewildered fanboys out front, jostling for the perfect photo when in reality its design is quite stunning from any angle.

The manufacturer’s lobby is grand, standing at 9 meters high. Gorgeous Georges makes another appearance on the lobby wall next to pictures of past owners and founders. Georges Kern’s contribution to the business can’t be forgotten, having spent 15 years pushing and shaping the direction of what the IWC brand is today.

IWC make the tour experience more authentic we’re asked to wear white zip front coats. Reminiscent of a team of doctors making their rounds in a futuristic hospital we proceed into the first level of the facility. It’s here where around 1,500 watch components are produced.

Complex components are also produced here such as bottom plates, bridges and oscillating weights, as well as small parts including switching levers, springs and latching elements. Some parts manufactured here are so small that they are barely visible to the naked eye.

Plasma cutter machines work between 18-24 hours a day with robotic arms feeding in the raw materials and removing the finished components. Oil is constantly poured over the machining process to reduce friction and heat during the cutting process.

The level of precision and detail required is why most of the steps involved in producing movement components are automated. Imagine doing this by hand? Watches would be 10 times more expensive.

On the flipside, assembling these pieces is far too complex and delicate for machines alone, therefore they require watchmakers to bring these components to life by hand.

Inspecting all the individual components in a variety of metals is impressive but it’s when you see the watchmakers at work that you really begin to appreciate what you’re wearing on your wrist. 

IWC work on a line concept that has been developed for assembling the movements, breaking the assembly process down into multiple sub-processes thus allowing a specialist with specific expertise to tackle each individual step. A movement person does movements, a dial assembly person does dials only, and so on.

Before entering the workshops we’re reminded that even tiny amounts of dust or dirt can impair a movement’s performance. For this reason, the components are assembled in a clean room atmosphere. Operating theatre shoe covers are mandatory for guests, whilst IWC staff swap their street shoes for white Birkenstocks when in the glass-enclosed workshops.

According to IWC, fifty thousand cubic metres of air is circulated every hour through the workshops. The pressure in this environment is above atmospheric pressure, making it even harder for dust particles to find their way in. What I wouldn’t give to have this technology in my dusty Bondi Beach apartment.

We stand quietly over the team carefully putting together perpetual calendar movements for the IWC Portugueser models. Each workstation has Apple iPads which allow the watchmakers to double check each step of the process according to their well-documented manuals.

As the case and movement are passed down the line, the previous work is double checked to ensure that the process has been followed and it’s working correctly. Doing so ensures the number of faulty and or defective units is almost zero. Additionally, defects with movements can be traced back to the exact workstation to ensure problems are isolated and not across an entire batch of watches.

Machine engraving and etching is also used to engrave case backs. This highly advanced technology ensures excellent process reliability and allows new possibilities of engraving designs.

Guests are offered the chance to try some of these techniques, thus proving how difficult learning the art of watchmaking is. In some cases watchmakers will spend up to one year learning how to do just one step in the IWC watchmaking process. 

IWC has paid special attention to the tour experience by allowing guests to get up close to the watchmakers and even experience the watchmaking process themselves.

Our jet lag may have been in full flight, however, that didn’t stop us from getting on the tools and dismantling and reassembling an IWC chronograph movement. Miraculously I completed this task and received a certificate to which I immediately proclaimed ‘this is going straight to the pool room.’ Sadly my reference to the 1990’s classic movie  The Castle went over the nice Swiss German teacher’s head.

If you’re a watch lover or simply just an engineering nerd, then the IWC Manufakturzentrum is pure heaven. It’s reminiscent of a Formula 1 team’s factory or pit garage. Spotless and every gizmo perfectly placed on shelves and in their correct spots. It’s a thing of beauty.

It’s when you get to experience and see behind the scenes of how your watch is made that you take on a whole new appreciation for the industry.

For bookings and for more information please contact [email protected]

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Inside The Manufacture The New IWC Manufakturzentrum

With an architect ceo, you had to expect the manufacture would create something this awesome..

This week, I traveled to Schaffhausen, in the heart of German-speaking Switzerland, for the opening of the IWC Manufakurzentrum, the brand's massive new factory. After 21 months of construction and six months of moving teams into place, the beautiful building was finally ready to welcome its first visitors, and just a handful of journalists received tours earlier today. On one level, this might be a factory, but on another level it's a statement from IWC about how it sees itself and where it wants to go in the future.

According to CEO Chris Grainger, the idea to build a new manufacture on the outskirts of Schaffhausen goes back six or seven years. Sandwiched between the Rhine river and the old town, IWC's HQ presented limited options for growth and so the most logical solution was to find an open field that would give the brand plenty of space for something today while also offering room for growth down the line. Additionally, Grainger sought to solve some of the inefficiencies faced by an integrated manufacture, creating a factory that functioned more efficiently, with better flow through the various stages of production. This is the first time IWC has built a new facility from whole cloth since F.A. Jones built the original manufacture in 1874, and internally it's seen as the brand's foundation for the next century or more.

The Manufakturzentrum's airy entryway has a nine-meter-high ceiling and an inviting lounge area.

The IWC Hall of Fame wall greets visitors. How many of these former directors and technical innovators can you name?

Two architecture firms were contracted to work on the new Manufakturzentrum, ATP Architects, and RMA Architects, with the former specializing in industrial spaces and production facilities. However, Grainger himself is a trained architect and since the early stages of the process he served as the lead designer, coming up with everything from the basic aesthetic concept of the building to the individual finishes in various spaces. I don't know of any other watch company that can boast of anything like this, and the results really speak for themselves.

Grainger opted to design the manufacture after the great exposition pavilions created by Modernist architects in the first half of the 20th century. These low-slung buildings, with their cantilevered roofs, slim columns, ample use of glass, and open plans, were used to show off the very best of a country's art and industry – Grainger thought this a fitting metaphor for IWC's new manufacture.

The building was inspired by the Modernist pavilions built for early 20th century expositions.

"It's a very obvious and almost frowned upon thing to say amongst architects, but I was always impressed by the approach of Mies [van der Rohe], and not because of the design statement part of what he did, but because he was a classically trained architect who was a Modernist," says Grainger. "He was looking forward without negating the existence of hundreds and hundreds of year of classical proportion and form. This is something that is really close to my heart. I want to be progressive and I want to be looking forward, but without forgetting the great contributions of the last hundreds of years – and I think this suits our industry perfect... we're not history-less here."

The hospitality-focused parts of the manufacture use warm wood accents, while the factory floors are bright white and clean.

Beyond being beautiful, the Manufakturzentrum is still very much a working factory – and a large one at that. There is more than 145,000 sq. ft. of working space fit into the 456 ft. by 203 ft. (139m x 62m) footprint. Of that, nearly 24,000 sq. ft. are clean room space where movements can be assembled, cases can be tested, and quality control can be exercised. If you want a few more numbers, we got 'em for you: there are 23,500 sq. ft. of solar panels on the roof, over 52,000 sq. ft. of glass used for the interior and exterior walls, and over 515,000 cu. ft. of concrete used throughout. The building represents a CHF 42,000,000 investment by IWC and it sure looks the part.

Making cases in-house requires heavy machinery that takes up a lot of space.

IWC's non-precious-metal watch cases start at the Manufakturzentrum from raw bars of steel, titanium, bronze, and more.

Before the Manufakturzentrum opened, IWC had to rent temporary space to house its massive case-making operation.

So what did IWC do with the hundreds of employees and dozens of production processes before the Manufakturzentrum, you might ask? They actually had to rent out industrial space in nearby Neuhausen to use as case-making facilities, since they'd long outgrown the original headquarters in central Schaffhausen. In case you don't know, IWC makes all of its steel and titanium cases in-house from raw bars of metal, and these operations take up a massive amount of space. The Manufakturzentrum is now a site of movement component production, movement assembly (for various in-house caliber families), case production and assembly, quality control, and equipment engineering, as well as being used as a logistics center, IT center, and infrastructure hub. And don't worry, the old HQ will remain fully functional – IWC needed space to expand and to build for the future, but main corporate offices and a lot of final watch assembly will stay right where they were.

One thing that was important to Grainger from the beginning with this project was creating a warm, comfortable place for his team to work. The pavilion-inspired architecture looks great in the hilly Swiss landscape, but it also provides optimal lighting conditions for watchmaking. "In some of those glass box manufacturing sites, you want to sit in there with your sunglasses on and it gets incredibly hot," says Grainger. "They're not comfortable spaces to work in." The solution was the cantilevered roofs, which keep the sunlight from becoming too bright through the large windows, meaning people can keep the shades up all day, enjoying both natural light to work by and views of the lush greenery surrounding the factory. Likewise, glass walls separate workspaces from the corridors that snake around the outer edges of the building, further diffusing light into the interior.

The watchmaking workshops are bright, without being too bright – and they have great views as well.

Clients and visitors are also catered to throughout the building's design. Grainger thinks that the Manufakturzentrum can serve as a powerful gateway for existing customers and potential customers to experience what IWC is all about. "We went to every German car manufacturer we could get inside, from Porsche to Mercedes to Volkswagen, to look at visitor experience integration. They have done a great job letting you see every step of the process," says Grainger. As a result, there are paths that lead through the factory, allowing you to see nearly every stage of a watch's construction, from design through production and then on to assembly and final QC. Furthermore, the most interesting and and visually engaging stages of production have been placed closest to the visitor pathways, so you won't find yourself staring at massive materials recycling bins or the backs of CNC machines. The ultimate goal here is to create a new way for IWC clients to appreciate their watches – and hopefully a way to draw would-be clients in.

This is much more than just another watch factory.

"When you start from the assumption that we sell functionally inessential products – nobody needs our products to tell the time precisely – you realize we create emotional objects that become a part of clients identity and create joy for clients when they look at what they carry on their wrist," says Grainger. "And that's more than a case and a dial: it's stories and history... to see the engineering and the craftsmanship, here in the place where the company was founded, gives the client a totally different appreciation for the product."

I must admit, while I've seen quite a few watch manufactures over the last few years, architecturally speaking the IWC Manufakturzentrum takes the cake – and it's not even close. It's easy to think of the Manufakturzentrum almost as a meta-product from IWC: it's the factory where IWC watches are made, and it has been crafted with the same level of thoughtfulness and the same basic principles as an IWC watch. From the basic idea of modeling the factory on Modernist pavilions to the way the building integrates with the lush green site (the chrome columns reflect the landscape at certain angles, sort of blurring the boundary between building and landscape) to the balancing of customer experience and manufacturing efficiency, it seems like the perfect model for a truly 21st century watch manufacture. 

You can learn more about the IWC Manufakturzentrum here .

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IWC manufactory tour

A visit to the IWC Schaffhausen Manufacture Centre is an exciting and unforgettable experience - whether you are a long-time aficionado or a newcomer to the world of mechanical watches.

On our manufactory tours, you will learn about the complex technology and refined craftsmanship that goes into every timepiece from Schaffhausen. You will experience the production of our timepieces from the metal rod to the finished movement or case. Accompanied by an experienced ambassador, you will first immerse yourself in the history of IWC in our museum. You will then visit the manufacturing centre and gain a comprehensive insight into the production process of our timepieces. Back in Schaffhausen, we conclude the tour with an exclusive presentation of our current collections.

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IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN OFFERS CUSTOMISED GUIDED VIRTUAL TOURS

Schaffhausen, August 19, 2020 – An exciting new virtual experience will enable watch enthusiasts to explore IWC’s headquarters from their own homes. Via a live stream from Schaffhausen, visitors will be able to take a customised tour of the museum and manufacturing centre, as well as observe first-hand a watchmaker at work, using the Swiss company’s innovative new Cyberloupe technology.

Offering the same insight enjoyed on the ever-popular in-person tours, each virtual journey will be adapted to the specific interests of guests and narrated in real-time by knowledgeable guides. A highly interactive and unique experience, the tours’ ease and convenience will open up IWC’s world and its iconic timepieces to more people than ever before.

“With these newly developed virtual tours, visitors will go on an interactive, personalised and memorable journey of discovery, bringing them as close as possible to our home in Schaffhausen, no matter where they may be. Not only will they gain exciting insights into our history and the complex engineering behind our timepieces, but they will also be immersed into the world of IWC in a completely new way,”

A CUSTOMISED LOOK INTO IWC

The journey begins with an introduction to the brand’s rich history before a guide welcomes guests to the manufacturing centre. Short videos with live commentary and video links to different departments place visitors at the heart of the watchmaking process. From the production of movement parts, to cases and assembly, every significant step is covered. Guides also offer a deep-dive into more specific topics like mechanical decoration or advanced case materials, if desired.

BE THE WATCHMAKER

IWC’s patented Cyberloupe technology delivers another tour highlight. The specially developed version of a watchmaker’s magnifying glass features an integrated camera and network connection, allowing visitors to stream the watchmaker’s viewpoint in real-time to their screens. An unprecedented way to explore the inner workings of a movement or learn about complications, the Cyberloupe allows online visitors a fascinating look at IWC’s intricate work.

A HI -TECH TOUR OF A CUTTING-EDGE FACILITY

Exploring IWC’s manufacturing centre online using such up-to-date digital technology suits the building perfectly. Inaugurated in 2018, the factory reflects the same blend of tradition and modern production methods championed by founder Florentine Ariosto Jones in 1868. State-of-the-art machinery and meticulous handcraftsmanship are brought together under one roof. Similarly, the virtual tours rely on modern communication channels to enable visitors from anywhere in the world to discover the brand’s heritage and future at just the touch of a button.

The new virtual tours will be available via IWC.com , IWC boutiques and official retail partners. For bookings and for more information please contact [email protected].

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In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneurFlorentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston toSwitzerland and founded the ‘International WatchCompany’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was tocombine advanced American manufacturing methodswith the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make thebest pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not onlylaid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approachbut also established the centralised production ofmechanical watches in Switzerland.

Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developeda reputation for creating functional complications,especially chronographs and calendars, which areingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use.A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC todayspecialises in highly engineered technical watch casesmanufactured from advanced materials, such as titaniumaluminideand Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of“form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watchmanufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.

IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action tominimise its impact on the environment, creatingintrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last forgenerations. The company prides itself in training its ownfuture watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering anexcellent working environment for all employees. IWC alsopartners with organisations that work globally to supportchildren and young people.

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Keith W Strandberg

Inside IWC's futuristic factory where Swiss watches are born

Since it was founded in 1868 by Florentine Ariosto Jones, an American who brought US production concepts to Swiss watchmaking, IWC has been renowned for its innovative approach to engineering.

Last year IWC christened its new manufacturing centre – the Manufakturzentrum – outside of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The building was designed from the ground up to do three things: combine all manufacturing processes under one roof; mirror the IWC aesthetic; and continue Jones’s innovative approach to watchmaking.

IWC chief executive Chris Grainger-Herr used to be an architect. He first worked for the company as a contractor to design the IWC Museum, then came in-house to redesign the brand's boutiques around the world – so getting the new manufacturing facility right was important to him. The centre itself represents a CHF42m (£31.7m) investment by IWC, so this has been done with no half measures.

“Architecture is about much more than just designing a utilitarian building,” says Grainger-Herr. “A building is a living space – an environment that directly affects the way people live or work. I see this in the Manufakturzentrum, too.

"A building that more than 230 employees call their professional ‘home’. The building's architecture influences their day-to-day activities and their social relationships. An architect therefore needs to understand how people behave and how they interact with one another. This holistic approach has always fascinated me."

The two architecture firms contracted to work on the facility were ATP Architects and RMA Architects, with the former specialising in industrial spaces and production facilities.

“As inspiration, I had modernist exhibition pavilions in mind at the time,” Grainger-Herr says. “These pavilions have allowed countries to showcase their greatest achievements in terms of technology, trade and art. This blend of gallery, workshop and engineering trade fair seemed to me to be a fitting architectural foundation on which to base the design, and the classical modernist style is an excellent match for our brand. We are a manufacturer with a 150-year history, but we are also a manufacturer that looks to the future. This is perfectly encapsulated in modernist architecture. Rather than backwards-looking neoclassicism, it is a classical interpretation with a nod to the future.”

The resulting building, complete with 2,183sq m of solar panels on the roof, is very IWC – pure and simple, with an engineering feel, combining whites, blacks and greys, along with plenty of glass and light. As an example, the big CNC machines that are used to make watch parts come in a plethora of colours, but Grainger-Herr is in the process of redecorating them all to be a uniform white.

Many Swiss watch brands have grown organically through the years – adding a floor here, a building there, which often results in a warren of spaces with little logic or flow. IWC was no different, so the change to set things up exactly right was a welcome opportunity.

The Manufakturzentrum is a three-storey building. The ground floor is where the heavy lifting is done – raw materials are delivered and stocked, parts and cases are milled, and polishing and finishing is done here.

Alistair Charlton

Benj Edwards, Ars Technica

Gabrielle Caplan

Adrienne So

Then, in the quiet of the first floor, the watchmaking magic happens. Movements are assembled, regulated and cased from A-Z on just this one floor, which streamlines the entire operation. On both floors, natural assembly points are designed into the layout so that engineers and workers can meet to discuss any issues, out in the open – which, in theory, leads to quick decision making. Natural light from the huge windows floods the clean room where the watches are worked on, making life easier on the watchmakers.

“Many production plants are designed as glass cubes, but this is not well suited to use as a production space because temperatures inside can soar and it offers little shade from the sun,” Grainger-Herr says. “Furthermore, it is not easy to divide up a space like this because there is glass everywhere.

"We therefore wanted to avoid using all glass, but instead opted for panes of glass supported on a base and flat roofs that extend beyond the façade, so that the occupants could also benefit from the architectural sunshade effect that these provide. In conjunction with the automatic sunshade system and the mathematically calculated projection of the flat roofs, a flexible space has been created that can be easily divided as required, and benefits from ample daylight but without any unpleasant glare from the Sun.”

On the second floor is a canteen, partially subsidised by IWC, where staff can refuel. Making the trek into Schaffhausen for lunch is difficult, so the company makes an effort to offer a good selection of meals every day, with the added benefit of keeping workers on site.

The centre is a key piece of IWC’s marketing effort, set up to easily show customers how its watches are made, without disrupting the production flow. IWC expects to welcome up to 10,000 visitors a year. These customers and potential customers are led along the corridors by guides, never interrupting the technicians and watchmakers, but still getting a chance to see first-hand what goes into the manufacture of an IWC watch.

“The building obviously needed to offer optimal conditions for production,” Grainger-Herr says. “But it was also important to us to provide visitors with a unique experience. But we didn't just want to build a functional factory; we wanted a building that was not only aesthetically pleasing, but also reflected the spirit of our brand.

“The glass surfaces with their detailed black frames stand in stark contrast to the brilliant white projecting flat roofs – this echoes the kind of contrasts that feature on many of our watch dials. The building's wooden core and the warm stone flooring convey a certain warmth and a sense of luxury. The production plant's warm heart is enveloped by the cooler, almost laboratory-like atmosphere in the production areas. This juxtaposition of luxury lifestyle and precision engineering perfectly encapsulates IWC.”

Ever looking forward, Grainger-Herr has allowed for future growth of IWC when creating this new facility, too, as there is space all around to expand. Currently, the manufacturing centre has 230 employees, but there is capacity for 400. As IWC grows, this facility can theoretically adapt and modify to meet demand. Still, regardless of this incorporated expansion room, after 21 months of construction and six months of establishing its teams in their new home, IWC has undoubtedly created a new HQ fit for the next 150 years.

This article was originally published by WIRED UK

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Photo Tour: IWC’s New Manufacturing Center in Schaffhausen

IWC has opened a beautiful new manufacturing center in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in time for its 150th anniversary.

By Oren Hartov

The challenges facing the International Watch Company as its 150th anniversary loomed were actually good ones to have — namely, how to expand IWC’s business and bring all its manufacturing and assembly together under one roof, and all this whilst honoring the company’s past and anticipating its future. Thankfully, when your CEO is a trained architect, these challenges are made much simpler.

To meet these challenges in time for the company’s 150th anniversary, IWC has opened a brand-new, 13,500-square meter facility just outside the city center of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, the brand’s long-time home base. The new Manufakturzentrum, which was completed in just 21 months to the tune of 42 million CHF, is a glistening masterpiece of both modern and classic design that manages to incorporate disparate architectural cues into one cohesive building.

We traveled to Schaffhausen to tour the new center for ourselves, but as is often said, a picture is worth a thousand words…

The new Manufakturzentrum sits on the outskirts of Schaffhausen, in a quiet meadow with open green spaces all around. A German architectural firm had the idea to design the 139 x 62-meter building such that it would integrate into the sloping terrain, after which IWC CEO and architect Christoph Grainger-Herr then developed the initial design concepts for the external facade.

Grainger-Herr sought inspiration from disparate sources when designing the new Manufakturzentrum’s facade, including from both residential architecture and modernist exhibition pavilions. “The modernist export pavilions were all about showcasing the nation’s best inventions, best engineering, best art, and us being at this borderline between art and technology, this kind of half-lab, half-artist’s studios, seems like an interesting way of expressing the brand.”

“In terms of what the building should represent from the outside, I was looking for an expression that’s much more luxurious and much more residential in a sense,” says Grainger-Herr. “We were able to say okay, let’s take these more residential materials all around the visitor path, and then make a transition into something very technical, white and almost lab-like to show the delicacy of the products as well, the R&D-sort of content of what we’re doing, which felt to me like the appropriate expression.”

The lobby and welcome area is an airy, 9 meter-high mass of steel, glass, marble, and wood, with a view of a forest just across the road. “What I think we can always hope to do is to take people onto a journey that really takes them from the environment and lifts them into something else where they can experience…a dream world, because it’s an emotional product,” says Grainger-Herr.

One of the walls in the Manufakturzentrum’s lobby is adorned with portraits of IWC directors and long-time personnel, including the brand’s founder, American visionary Florentine Aristo Jones (far left). Jones came to Schaffhausen in 1868 and established a company by the banks of the River Rhine that paired traditional watchmaking with advanced production techniques and engineering. The first four directors together presided over 100 years of IWC watchmaking.

“The modernist export pavilions were all about showcasing the nation’s best inventions, best engineering, best art, and us being at this borderline between art and technology, this kind of half-lab, half-artist’s studios, seems like an interesting way of expressing the brand.”

Seen here are examples of raw materials used in the production of movement components. The materials, such as brass and steel, come in long rods, which are suspended in oil in a machine and then cut into smaller sizes, after which they are punched, cut, polished and finished as necessary. The professionals cutting these pieces are called “polymechanics”, and are required to do four years of apprenticeship before beginning work.

Over 1500 components are produced in the movement-component production area, including parts so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. Says Grainger-Herr: “You come from the narrow streets of the old town, and then it opens up and you have this 9-meter lobby, and from there you go into small parts — from really wide to thousandths of a millimeter. This whole idea of expanding and then narrowing down again is a subtle psychological thing.”

Machines are programmed to produce only one type of part at a time, and two production methods are used: one via contact-less electric discharge, and one via a milling process. While certain older types of machines are only capable of working one side of a brass plate at a time, more sophisticated modern models can flip a plate over in order to work both sides, which allows IWC to run the machine over weekends, 24 hours a day.

Sometimes the right tool for the job is an old tool. Though new machinery was purchased for the new Manufakturzentrum, much was also transplanted from IWC’s extant facilities. “Moving the machinery and workstations was a massive logistical feat that had to be meticulously planned and executed exactly on schedule,” says IWC COO Andreas Voll.

Some processes are still best left to humans, such as the application of perlage, or a pearl pattern, applied to movement components using a type of press. Though perlage is a decoration and can only be seen if the watch features a transparent case back, its application and presence is indicative of fine watchmaking. Other types of decoration are done using tools made in-house by IWC.

“For the next 150 years we wanted something forward-looking, something that felt light and luxurious, something that gives our staff and fans of IWC a home rather than just a place of work.”

Though movement component production is largely automated, pre-assembly, which involves piecing together the plates and bridges that constitute an ébauche (along with several other components), is far too delicate an operation for a machine, and must be done by hand. Once the ébauches are pre-assembled, they are sent to final assembly.

In planning the new Manufakturzentrum, Grainger-Herr wanted to be sure that there would be room to expand as the company grew further. “About 25% of the space is spare, which we will populate over the next year. For 10 or 15 years, I was always trying to squeeze our requirements into the space that was available — here we can do it the other way around.”

Though there are currently 230 employees working in the Manufakturzentrum, the new facility is built with modularity in mind and can accommodate up to 400 workers. Sustainability has also been considered, with solar panels, oil recycling systems, automatic LED lighting controls and a sensor-controlled automatic sunshade system contributing toward a greener workplace.

Changing rooms provide space for the IWC employees to don special jackets and shoes before entering the assembly area, which is a clean room Class VII environment complete with an airlock (50,000 cubic liters of air inside is scrubbed 10 times an hour). Because the pressure in the room is above atmospheric pressure, it is difficult for dust particles to enter.

Assembly and fine modulation (the initial setting of the time on a movement in five different positions) take place in a large room featuring rows of workstations, with each row of stations assembling one of five specific movement calibers (the workstations themselves are a custom development of IWC). Allowing each worker to focus on one specific task only lends a high degree of precision to the assembly process.

The lower level of the Manufakturzentrum houses the case production department, which can fashion watch cases from stainless steel, titanium, platinum, red gold, white gold, bronze and Ceratanium, a new titanium alloy that features the lightness and robustness of titanium, and the scratch-resistance of ceramic. Depending on the material being machined, a bar meter-long bar can produce between 30 to 50 cases.

Computer-controlled turning and milling centers are used to machine watch cases, which can sometimes require dozens of parts when bezels or chronograph pushers are involved. A central oil regeneration system is utilized in much of the Manufakturzentrum’s machinery, recycling some 12,000 liters of oil used as a lubricant, with a maximum output of 960 liters per minute.

Certain case materials are easier to mill than others — while stainless steel is comparatively simple to work, for example, platinum can take hours to mill to due its natural properties and complex geometry. IWC case production specialists are highly trained in these processes and are skilled in machining different materials.

After the machining stage, cases are polished and cleaned, and then receive a final inspection in a clean room environment. “Only the human eye is able to assess the quality of a surface,” says COO Voll. Machine engraving, etching and laser engraving are then used to engrave case backs, which allow for incredibly complex designs.

Moving almost all of its operations under one roof, including the production of specialized tools that aren’t commercially available, has been a tremendous boon to IWC. Says CEO Grainger-Herr: “We’ve seen this in the first couple of months, what a difference it makes, this shared idea of ‘Proudly made in Schaffhausen.’ That look in people’s faces — you can see that effect straightaway. It really helps tremendously.”

The finished product encapsulates all the incredible effort that went into manufacturing an IWC watch in the new Manufaktuzentrum: from machining the components, to assembling the movement, to cutting the case, to final assembly and regulation, an IWC wristwatch is a testament to the care and pride that every employee of the company takes his or her work.

5 original photos

If you’re even remotely familiar with aviation or the history of World War II, you’ve likely heard of (or at least seen pictures of) the Junkers 52, possibly one of the world’s most beautiful vintage aircraft.

In production from 1931 through 1952 and used for military and commercial purposes through the 1980s, the Ju52 is the perfect melding of functional engineering and beauty. IWC has maintained a partnership with the airfield in Dubendorf, Switzerland for some years, and their logo adorns one of just a handful of Ju52s that is still airworthy.

Powered by three BMW 132A/3 9-cylinder, 4-stroke radial engines, a flight on a Ju52 is loud, but provides possibly one of the most unique experiences available to a fan of history, aviation, and engineering.

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IWC Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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What Watch Manufacturers Can You Actually Visit?

Historically speaking, watch manufacturers love to keep things behind closed doors when it comes to production (both technique and volume, for that matter). However, the game has slowly been changing as consumers become more engaged and interested in how their goods of any kind are being produced.

Sure, you’ll still never get through the doors of Patek or Rolex to see what’s going on behind the scenes, but there are a number of noteworthy brands that have changed their tune and are allowing public eyes onto their manufacturing processes. If you inquire via your local boutique, there may be other brands able and willing to organize private tours for you (and a small group of fellow enthusiasts), but for now, those on the list below have made tours available for public consumption without having to befriend the local staff.

Announced this past September, IWC’s massive new 145,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility located on the outskirts of Schaffhausen was actually designed with the consumer/visitor experience in mind.

IWC’s CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr was directly involved in the design of the facility (he’s a former architect by trade), believing that it was essential for the brand’s long term success to allow clients (and potential future clients) the ability to see, touch, and experience what goes into the creation of their watches. Unlike some other brands (as you’ll see later on), these tours will be frequent, as the brand expressed a lofty goal of welcoming over 10,000 visitors within its first year of opening.

A. Lange & Sohne

Though they also offer tours to the public, getting your foot across the threshold of the Lange manufacture in Glashutte – a small town about 45 minutes outside of Dresden, Germany – is a bit more involved than with IWC. They don’t specify the number of tours offered per month or per year, stating only that they are extremely limited.

These will have to be coordinated via your local AD, meaning that it’s a fair assumption that unless you’ve purchased a couple of their pieces, you might not have much luck getting a tour booked. Once past the gatekeepers, the experience will be worth the wait, as Lange is one of few watch brands out there to have a very extensive in-house manufacturing capability.

Another new addition to the list as of last year, Zenith’s approach is entirely in line with IWC’s as far as wanting to welcome as many guests/enthusiasts as they can. Jean-Claude Biver announced the idea in 2017, and their updated facilities (just like at IWC) are designed to make the visitor experience as comfortable and open as possible.

What’s more, the visit not only includes touring the manufacture, but also other educational experiences to give visitors a more well-rounded view of the brand as a whole. These tours last roughly three hours, and run every Friday morning at 9am.

Frederique Constant

A bit of a surprise on this list, located just outside of Geneva, the  Frederique Constant  manufacturing facility is an interesting one to say the least. Because the brand plays in a more approachable cost space, their manufacturing practices are a touch more industrialized, and yet you can see a level of attention paid at every step.

In order to streamline their movement manufacturing process, they have been doing an excellent job creating modular movements that are both straightforward and easy to assemble. Sure, this doesn’t sound as romantic as a single watchmaker toiling over a workbench, but watching the FC team assemble movements like a well-oiled machine is impressive in its own right. The brand’s sister company, Atelier DeMonaco also operates under the same roof, so in the same visit you’ll also be able to see their top-level watchmaking as well.

About Justin Mastine-Frost

With over a decade of experience as a journalist and editor covering the watchmaking, the automotive industry, and other lifestyle topics, a general obsession with mechanical creations remains the common thread. Having worked for a broad range of industry and general interest publications throughout the years, Justin has developed a sincere appreciation for a wide range of watch brands and styles, as well as an ever-growing interest in the vintage watch market.

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Places visited, suggested duration, customizable itinerary, geneva – arrive and indulge in the fascinating ambiance of switzerland.

The city of Geneva represents a sophisticated, cosmopolitan ambiance reflected in the gorgeous waters of Europe’s largest lake. Switzerland’s second largest city towers over cobbled streets hosting the headquarters of the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, and more than 200 other international organizations and non-profits. Ample global business has given rise to an abundance of luxury hotels and boutique jewelry shops glistening against a backdrop of swans floating on the waters of the eponymous lake.

The city won its independence from the House Savoy in the 17th century and joined the Swiss Confederation by the early 19th century. The narrow stretch of land along the northwest shore connects the city to greater Switzerland, but France otherwise borders Geneva. Your flight lands at Geneva Airport, where your private transfer greets you upon your arrival. The mountain air contains hints of chocolate and pastries emanating from confectionaries around the city. You notice the plume of water spouting over the city, deriving from the Jet d’Eau, a grand fountain on the lake’s surface shooting water 475 feet into the air. You find luxurious comfort at your hotel located in view of the Jet d’Eau and the fascinating white-capped peak of Mont Blanc in the distance.

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Montreux – Visit a Watchmaking Boutique and Artisan Workshop

At breakfast, the scent of delicious hot chocolate fills the dining room, accompanied by freshly baked bread perfect with an assortment of marmalades or honey. The familiar plume of water arches over the lake and your guide greets you, eager to introduce you to the watchmaking traditions of the city, as well as the ways Zurich has modernized the trends inspired by its heritage. The Rhone River rushes beneath the hillside of the old city. The picturesque architecture lines the cobbled lanes leading to the dramatic façade of the cathedral. Your exploration begins at the Franck Muller boutique, a company established in 1991.

The timepieces are known globally for their sleek style and superior Swiss manufacturing. The store’s interior shimmers with watches displayed under soft but showcasing light. The brand highlights the complexities of watchmaking with modern style, being one of the first to allow its wearers to view the mechanics of the working watch, such as using a visible triple-axis tourbillon, which was unconventional for the time. Since founding the company, Muller has gained 36 world-firsts and other patents resulting in a recognizable signature style. The noble art of watchmaking becomes clearer as your guide unveils the reasons Muller is known as the “Master of Complications,” with each component given individual attention.

Your immersion into Switzerland’s world-famous watchmaking world continues in Vevey, a town between the slopes and waters of Lake Geneva at the crux of the Alps with a quiet promenade and gorgeous central square. You enter one of the private artisan workshops of Lionel Meylan, a professional focused on authenticity, passion, precision, and beauty. The workshops within the boutiques concentrate on sharing their desire and knowledge of their work, as well continuing in the traditions of their trade, even when pushing the boundaries of modernism.

Neuchâtel – Explore Audemars Piguet Museum, a Historic Watchmaking School, and Enjoy a View of the Haute Horlogerie Workshop and Museum

The bold aroma of chocolate and sweet pastries swirl through the gallery of Zurcher on Avenue du Casino in Montreux. The café has more than a century of experience and remains a favorite for locals throughout the day. You find enjoy the aroma of hot chocolate at breakfast before traveling out of the shadow of Montreux’s charming 13th-century lakeside chateau. The village of le Brassus in the Jura Valley overlooks the lush meadows sweeping to bordering mountains. The quaint steeple of the Protestant church acts as the skyline to the serene township and surrounding landscape.

The quiet village also hosts the headquarters and factory of the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. The craftsmanship focuses on the connection between body and mind, integrating geometry into the performance for a balance of function, structure, and style on display in the original factory built in 1875 with expansions made in 2008. The workshop is located on a flat area of the valley with large windows looking over the tranquil stream. The watchmakers work on the movements of the skeletonized gears, revealing the extra-thin tourbillon of the Royal Oak Openworked design. The effortless movements and sleek style begin with the gears before anchoring the barrel.

The section floats, meaning only a single side connects to the greater piece for an even smoother look. Workers build titanium cases and complicated resonating boxes. They shape the masculine frame of the Royal Oak and the distinctive features of the Millenary 4101, a watch known for inspiring spirited reactions. One common theme in the workshop is that everyone remains focused and dedicated to their specialty. You continue to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the oldest applied arts school in Switzerland, established in the 1870s.

The vocational college teaches students about micromechanics and overall design necessary to compete in today’s global markets. The town has gained UNESCO recognition due to its preserved architecture and connection to manufacturing watches. The straight streets were erected to conform to the needs of the watchmaking industry as it grew, symbolizing the growth of the business and its indelible connection to La Chaux-de-Fonds. The galleries inside the school showcase the grand and delicate creations from the town over the past 150 years, including clocks decorated with gold plating.

By the afternoon, you enter into the famous doors of Corum, a manufacturer dedicated to adding modern touches to time-honored traditions, with over 50 years of experience. The exclusive tour begins under the guidance of a watchmaking professional for an immersive discovery of the grand world hidden in the small gears. You gain insight into the importance of the springs, escapement, and balance wheel. Your guide watches as you take apart a sample watch and replace each piece in its exact position before hearing the watch tick back to life.

Bern – Discover the Swiss Capital and the Choreography of the Clock Tower

In the morning, you enjoy the view of the foothills leading up to the Jura Mountains and the splendor of the medieval architecture of Neuchâtel rising along the waterfront. The aroma of pine fades as you depart the city and reach the Swiss capital of Bern. The city resembles a postcard with a preserved Old Town bordered by snowcapped peaks. Folk figurines dance on the 16th-century decorative fountains, and covered arcades span nearly four miles across the city.

The medieval center boasts cobblestone streets and sandstone architecture dating back to the early 15th century. Each of the 11 fountains depicts different stories from local folklore, including the Kindlifresserbrunnen , a giant snacking on the city’s children. Climb the lofty spire connected to the Gothic cathedral, which provides stunning views of the Aare River and the medieval center’s terraced rooftops. Your guide leads you to the Zytglogge, a landmark clock tower built in the early 13th century.

The tower stands 75 feet tall and hosts a remarkable astronomical clock. The clock begins chiming three minutes before the hour with a show consisting of the Fool, the Knight, the Rooster, and the Piper amidst a cast of characters. Stone steps inside the tower ascend to an observation platform. The pendulum swings and keeps the massive gears clicking, offering insight into the steps between the clock’s ticking hands to the movement of the mechanical figures and the rooster’s third crow.

Basel – Relish the Style of Basel Before a Chocolate Experience

After breakfast, you travel to Basel, a city known for its fabulous concentration of culture with at least one museum per half-square mile. The architecture around Old Town preserves medieval churches, cobblestone streets, and painted facades overlooking whimsical fountains. Six bridges span the Rhine River and connect the two sides of the city. Marktplatz, the main square of the antique city center, hosts the vibrant red façade of the 16th-century Rathaus, the town hall. The city also hosts Baselworld, an International Watch Fair bringing together more than 2,000 exhibitors from over 45 countries and attracting nearly 95,000 visitors from around the world.

The first show opened in 1917 for watch manufacturers and has since grown to include jewelers and companies specializing in precious gems for their connection to the watch industry. Your guide uncovers the secrets of Basel on a remarkable private tour focusing on the city’s captivating artistry. The cathedral crowns a small hill and soars over the surrounding rooftops with painted patterned tiles and marvelous spires. The 18th-century plaza was erected over the ruins of a Roman fortress and leads into the cathedral.

The 14th-century Gothic architecture shimmers with red sandstone taken from the Vosges Mountains. The 12th-century Romanesque stone carvings continue to decorate the doorway of St. Gallus in the north transept. After traversing the streets of the city, you enter a confectionary brimming with the enchanting aroma of chocolate. Few delicacies are more associated with Switzerland than the fine art of chocolate; indulge in the aromas, flavors, and process of crafting the dessert. Your instructor guides you through the processing and refining of the cacao beans within the traditions of the Swiss method to craft creamy, bold, and seductive chocolate on your own before adding specialty flavors or ingredients.

Black Forest – Travel to Germany to Visit the Home of the Cuckoo Clock

While Germany’s Black Forest is less than 75 miles from Basel, the ambiance after crossing the border between Switzerland and Germany is noticeable, including at breakfast when you find juicy sausages, different cheeses, and boiled eggs, as well as slices of famous Black Forest ham. After the meal, your guide greets you in the lobby and escorts you around the glistening banks of Lake Titisee. The trees fill the air with an herbaceous aroma reminiscent of spiced pine.

Most people know the Black Forest for its sweet treats like Black Forest cake, but the western region in Germany is also the birthplace of the celebrated cuckoo clock. You reach a family-owned artisan shop that has been hand-making cuckoo clocks since the 1860s. The scent of wood shavings fills the workshop. Outlines of past cuckoo clocks and different designs decorate the walls. The handmade quality of the work ensures each clock is distinct. The craftsman happily welcomes you into the workshop and presents the evolution of the gears and different styles of the clock, including the different movements of the interior, offering 30-hour or eight-day clockworks. While some manufacturers have installed quartz battery-power into their clocks, purists continue to use weights made from cast iron in a pinecone shape to move the clock gears.

The cuckoo sound emanates from two tiny pipes with bellows attached, echoing with puffs of air as the timekeeper strikes. The tradition of the clock dates back to the 1620s but has seen modifications over the centuries, including the addition of music boxes. The town of Schonach also possesses the world’s largest cuckoo clock, which chimes twice an hour and possesses 13-foot long pipes. The clock itself is 15 feet long with a cuckoo weighing 330 pounds. The clock was built consistent with traditional models using weights and driven by a pendulum to propel the cuckoo from its resting place. Construction on the clock took five years to complete, ultimately finishing in 1994. Before leaving town, you enter a pastry shop and indulge in the fluffy, smooth texture and decadent flavor of a traditional Black Forest Cherry Cake.

Zurich – Visit Schaffhausen, Rhine Falls and a Premier Watchmaker

In the morning, you leave the succulent flavors of chocolate and cherries in the Black Forest, crossing the border back into Switzerland to the town of Schaffhausen. The town contains elements of German architecture due to its proximity to the border. Bay windows decorate houses colored with pastels. Pedestrianized streets lead to ornate frescoes. The Munot Fortress climbs the hillside above streaks of vineyards.

Your private driver takes you first to the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfalls in Switzerland, located at approximately 2,000 feet above sea level. Nature’s power erupts from the Rhine in the form of white water, mist, and thunderous noise. The viewing platform provides a wonderful view of the cobalt river, thrashing whitewater, and medieval architecture rising along the riverbanks.

You continue to the International Watch Company (IWC) Museum, which opened in 1993 on the 125th anniversary of the company’s founding within the historic headquarters. The first floor of the main building represents the quality of the international luxury brand as shown in the attention to detail, dedication to progress, and commitment to timeless art and functionality. Production now exists in a more spacious factory away from the original headquarters. The museum offers multimedia presentations documenting the history of IWC as well as highlighting the 230 curated items exemplifying the mission and history of the company, including the Portugieser and Portofino collections in the East Wing.

Zurich – Enjoy the Contemporary Trends and Classic Beauty of Zurich

Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and embodies the familiar ambiance blending preserved cultural heritage with contemporary life. The Limmat River feeds into the glassy blue waters of Lake Zurich as trams travel down the Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world’s most expensive retail shopping avenues. Zurich’s main downtown street bustles with spouting fountains, public art, and fashionable boutique shops displaying stunning high-end jewelry, coats, bags, and shoes in their window displays. Follow your guide on a fabulous tour through one of Europe’s trendiest destinations.

In Zurich, the past seamlessly blends with the present; old factories have become the heart of contemporary cultural activates and creative spaces. Trees line the quiet street of Lindenhof, erected over the Roman fortified settlement. The Kunsthaus Zürich remains one of Europe’s top art museums with roots connected to an 18th-century society of artists. Post-Impressionists and modern art theories overtake the gallery, along with stunning displays of Cezanne, Van Gogh, and an entire room dedicated to the works of Marc Chagall.

The Fraumünster, the Protestant Church of Our Lady, was originally established as an abbey in the 9th century. The Gothic nave was erected between the 13th and 15th centuries. Your guide leads you beneath the stunning vaulted ceilings and above remains of the ancient crypt to view the five stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. The glass acts like murals, telling five tales consisting of Elijah’s ascent to heaven, Jacob, scenes from the life and times of Jesus, an angel trumpeting the world’s end, and Moses.

The vibrant colors add new dimensions to the stories in addition to the details of the church. In the evening, you indulge in the delicious cuisine at a Zurich staple known as Kronenhalle . The high-top wooden counters develop the ambiance embellished by Picasso and Chagall paintings along the walls. The bar offers 300 different cocktail recipes made with precise measurements of a range of ingredients. The food menu changes daily, offering International tastes with a Swiss twist.

Zurich – Depart for Home

The doors to the Beyer Museum open in the morning, revealing a large collection of watches and clocks from history. The galleries display Swiss clocks with wooden cogs, Nuremberg pendulum clocks, sundials, and also clocks that once used water to measure the passing of time. The aroma of coffee drifts through the doors of Odeon, a café opened in 1911 that proudly served Einstein, Vladimir Lenin, and James Joyce as patrons. Decadent confections fill the window displays at the Sprüngli House, a favorite for locals and visitors interested in sweet treats like bonbons, cakes, and their signature macarons. After breakfast, your private transfer greets you at the hotel and escorts you to Zurich Airport for your flight home, bringing an end to your timeless journey across Switzerland and Germany.

Trip Highlights

• Step inside the world famous tower of Bern’s astronomical clock that inspired Albert Einstein to develop his theory of relativity
• Experience the Haute Horlogerie workshop and reassemble watches under the guidance of expert clockmakers
• Relish the artistry of Franck Muller designs that balances contemporary style and time honored heritage of watchmaking at the flagship boutique
• Inspect the collection of nearly 250 watches displaying elegant, timeless style in the Museum of the International Watch Company
• Tour the famous Audemars Piguet Museum in Le Brassus and closely observe the focus needed to craft a luxury watch by artisans
• Delve into the heartland of the Cuckoo Clock in Germany’s Black Forest where the clocks are still handcrafted the same manner since its introduction
• Visit the world’s largest Cuckoo Clock and listen to its captivating call as it comes to life every 30 minutes
• Indulge in a hands-on artisan Swiss chocolate experience and taste the layers of flavor and variety of textures
• Relish luxurious accommodations, private transfers, and exclusive guided tours across Switzerland and Germany

Detailed Description

The fashionable world of luxury watches has a long and prestigious history in Switzerland. Your personalized tour of Switzerland and Germany’s Black Forest provides you with personal introductions to the extravagant styles and intricate mechanics of Switzerland’s best watchmakers including Franck Muller, Lionel Meylan, and the International Watch Company. Your journey through time focuses on the brilliant and often hidden complexities watchmakers face when designing new styles, from the face to the band. Every detail is deliberately selected, from visible gears to the size of the watch hands. The delicate balance of engineering and art culminates in a work that simultaneously pays homage to the heritage of watchmaking while appealing to contemporary aesthetics.

Your timeless exploration of Switzerland and the Black Forest begins with your arrival in Geneva. The cosmopolitan destination embodies Switzerland’s ability to balance the past with the present with multiple international headquarters juxtaposed with the historic architecture of Old Town. The city also hosts a variety of Franck Muller boutique shops within the borders shared with the lakeshore of France and a narrow strip of land leading deeper into Switzerland. The private workshop of Lionel Meylan celebrates the intersection of design and engineering while paying special attention to how an artisan watchmaker can innovate while paying tribute to their heritage.

The town of La Chaux-de-Fonds reflects the important effect the clock-making industry has had on the town since its inception, from the design of the streets connecting to the former warehouses and factories to the continued traditions of Switzerland’s oldest watchmaking trade school. The different applications of watchmaking take place inside the town, the school, and at the Corum Haute Horlogerie workshop and museum, which offers you an exclusive look at the production of extravagant watches. The capital city of Bern boasts history dating back to a Roman settlement and a city center shining with preserved medieval architecture. A guided tour of the city explores the fascinating artwork in the construction, design, and conservation of the city as well as in the mechanics of the 16th-century clock tower, one of the oldest clocks in the country.

Next. you venture to Basel, which immerses you in a city known for celebrating clockwork, annually hosting the Baselworld International Watch Fair. Enjoy the guidance of a local art expert as she introduces you to the city’s treasures beyond the clocks and watches; celebrate Switzerland’s other famous export on a boutique artisan chocolate cooking course.

Switch gears as you proceed over the border from Switzerland to Germany’s Black Forest, the birthplace of the cuckoo clock. While exploring the beauty of the landscape and hidden charms of the historical towns along the Rhine River, you will meet with an artisan craftsman who produces hand-carved cuckoo clocks, each design and sound unique to the carving. Before leaving the Black Forest, you will sample the famous Black Forest Chocolate Chery Cake and listen to the sounds of the world’s largest cuckoo clock.

The IWC, International Watch Company has a factory in the town of Schaffhausen. Explore the museum and an optional factory tour to view over 200 different watches on display. Explore the cobblestone streets of the city and the medieval ambiance, as well as the thunderous waters of the Rhine Falls before arriving in Zurich. Switzerland’s largest city boasts the complexities of modern luxuries with unspoiled antique architecture. Art emanates from modern and historical designs shining along the streets and in the different museums across the city. Stained-glass windows by Chagall mirror the beauty of the windows designed by the German painter and photographer Sigmar Polke. Cafes fill the streets with the scent of chocolate or coffee and your fascinating trail around Switzerland’s timepieces reaches its end.

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$4,090  per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

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Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

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• Factory Tours

ACL Field Trip | The IWC Watch Factory

After the SIHH watch fair , we took the train from Geneva to the German speaking side of Switzerland to visit the offices and factory of watchmaker IWC . Located about an hour outside of Zurich, the town of Schaffhausen is a small enclave on the Rhine river that has become famous for high end watch manufacturing. The IWC headquarters look almost exactly as you would expect. The older part of the building was at one point merged with a perfectly modern, clean and stylish building expansion. The resulting structure is classic and modern all together in one piece. The interiors of the office are outfitted almost exclusively with USM Modular furniture, which made me feel like I was in a Star Destroyer, or at least a Nebulon-B frigate. What I’m trying to say is the place is pretty space aged and cool.

The actual watch makers are located in one of the oldest parts of the main building on the upper floors. There are windows everywhere and the whole space is flooded with natural light. Just to be clear, there is nothing old about anything in this place, except maybe some of the old world manufacturing techniques that are being used to craft the IWC watches. The people working in the factory take measures to keep everything clean and ergonomically correct. The process of making watches is obviously very challenging physically, and IWC has done everything it can to try and maintain as comfortable a process as possible. To this end, everyone working in the factory wears special slipper like shoes and all work at especially designed desks which help to make assembly easier. The watchmakers sit low in their chairs with their arms in special padded nooks on the top of their workspace. After taking a watchmaking class at the end of our factory tour I can say that the working stance looks crazier than it feels when you are working. It feels right when you are focusing on manipulating tiny objects with tiny tools. You can see examples of how the watchmakers work in some of the photos below.

For me to get to see the inner-workings of IWC and how the watches are made is an amazing opportunity. It is also one I am excited to share here. Hope you enjoy. Seeing this place really drove home how much goes into making one of these timepieces.

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Comments on “ acl field trip | the iwc watch factory ”.

Outstanding. I’ve long been a fan of IWC, particularly of the DaVicini. Thanks for sharing these photos.

Okay now I think I understand why these watches are so enormously expensive! It looks like pretty hard work & the place looks like a laboratory as well.

Having said that, the watches appear to have a real “classic” vibe to them which I appreciate very much. The eleventh picture down shows a watch that I’m sure costs as much as my condo. Can anyone provide more information on it?

When I purchased my last watch, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to afford anything like this, thus I bought an Omega Seamaster 2531.80 chronometer & I’ve been very, very happy with it.

The watch the older gentlemen is extending is their grand complication, it’s around $300K :)

@ Michael, thanks for all the IWC posts. I am a huge fan, the first good watch I bought was a IWC Portuguese Chrono, that was 10 years ago… It’s a very expensive hobby… Now I have 17 IWC’s.

I just have a Casio and it seems to do just fine. I’ve had it for 19 years. It cost me about $39. So, I’m looking at less than $2.00 per year ownership cost with no maintenance. While the IWC looks nice, the ownership cost associated with it would preclude me from purchasing one.

Thanks for your interesting story and pictures. Carry on.

Thank you for the info. I figured the watch would be priced somewhere on the order of a modest house!

Seventeen is pretty staggering-congrats. Unlike cars there’s no auto insurance, tickets, & folks trying to race you every ten minutes in addition to storage problems.

Dare I ask, if you were on a desert island, which would be your default IWC?

The first time I came across IWC was in Vanilla Sky and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Try harder to get a free watch

Casio is a blasphemous word when talking about such watches. We all know that thriftyness can lead to ownership of things that last. Just enjoy the story about a watch you will never own without bringing price into it.

That’s a tough decision. Several of them I bought on personal or professional milestone over the last decade. There is one watch a limited edition Portuguese that took me over 3 years to find. Attached is a link to the watch. It’s the black dial one in stainless with white sub dials. Having so many watches has it’s draw backs. I only keep three at my house and the rest in a safety deposit box. It’s a drag at times having to go and switch them out.

http://www.timezone.com/library/itsabouttime/itsabout0004

I used to work for Wanna Buy a Watch, a vintage watch shop on Melrose in West Hollywood. IWCs were rather rare in the inventory, I suspect because they are super solid and the design really stands the test of time, no pun intended, and the owners just wont part with them. Watches are like luxury cars. Of course a Corolla will run over 200k miles and get you from point A to B, but the mere functionality of a machine is really not the point. Culture is defined by the added value to the functionality. But the difference between watches and cars is that luxury watches actually work very well and stay in tune while luxury cars are in the shop all the time. Generally Swiss and Japanese movements are solid. If you cannot afford the prices of brands such as IWC you can still own a worthy wrist watch (mechanical as opposed to quartz movements) for lesser price tag, in brands such as Longines, Zodiac, Seiko and Citizen. I have watches from the 40’s to 70’s that so far needed no maintenance for at least 35 years.

Very interesting post as it’s so rare to get a behind-the-scene look at a luxury timepieces factory. I am the proud owner of a Mark XII and love it. True, IWC’s don’t come cheap (especially when purchased brand new), but the second-hand market is full of opportunites to own modern and vintage IWC pieces (which IMO look even better than the current collection) at a somewhat affordable price (for a mechanical watch made in Switzerland that is).

this has to be the coolest post ever. thank you MW.

i certainly appreciate the in-depth look into what makes a watch “tick.”

Concerning the price of watches,

There seems to be an event and place for everything when considering the use of such a timepiece. I would not expect a cobbler to wear a tourbillon equipped model as he performs his mends; it is unnecessary and outright foolish. Of the same expectation, I could not imagine a principal minister to attend an international summit wearing a G-Shock. Either man could own both and enjoy them in the same respects. The act of wearing a watch, especially an expensive one, must be deliberate for the event it will accompany you in.

However, it must be said that the IWC product line is diverse enough that just about any man with a consistent occupation and proper motivation could obtain an upscale timepiece at an achievable price. That is commendable, as they could very well be an organization of exclusivity, seeking only the most desirable of customers.

Thanks for your post and pics. I visited IWC and their museum a couple of years back – like a pilgrimage I guess. I didn’t get into the factory – just the museum. Schaffhausen is a very beautiful little town with a lovely ‘old part’. I am the lucky owner of 1993 ss Jubilee, and several other IWC’s. I think IWC make the most stunning watches. I have just ordered their book Engineering Time and am looking forward to reading it.

Thanks MW for a great post

Ironic, I guess. I’m wearing my IWC Flieger as I type this. It’s one of three IWC’s that I own.

I drive a Corolla. 140k miles. So far.

It’s obvious from the 2 or 3 smiling faces in these photos that the watchmakers dig what they do. IWC is an amazing company. Thanks for this. Now I think that If someone wants to wear a casio for 20 years that’s kind of cool too. But they better be really good at what they do or really good looking or uber rich. Having a decent watch for business or dress is important. If you’re doing business in a G-Shock you better have a reason other than being cheap.

@Duncan, If you ever make it out to Jackson Hole, I will show you my collection.

I also have an IWC Mark XII in my collection. It is one of my favorites and probably beats out the others for wrist time. There is something moving about the fine mechanical symphony that hums along effortlessly on the wrist. It’s something the average person and quartz/digital watch wearer just doesn’t appreciate. That’s a good thing or else we’d all be wearing a fine timepiece.

Great pics and post!

Hey Michael seeing as I don’t have 3k sitting around to drop on a watch do you have any suggestions on watches in the $500 price range for the rest of us poor slobs?

Hey Eli, (my nick name) I too have the IWC Portuguese 5000, it took me a few years to find mine on ebay at a reasonable price!

@Brian O: Check out Tissot. They make some really fantastic, affordable Swiss watches.

I apologize for the late post.

Thank you so much for the invitation!

I’ve never been to Jackson Hole, I imagine the fly-fishing must be pretty nice there. Do you fly fish by any chance?

Keeping time. There’s an app for that.

I do, RL Winston 5 weight and a Tibor reel :)

I bet that’s a nice rig. Winston makes really sweet rods.

What’s your take on cane? Winston made or still makes some nice cane rods I believe.

I read somewhere that one of the all time classic rods was made by Winston using IM6 graphite in a 8’6″ length for a 5 weight. Apparently it isn’t made any longer.

I’ve been using an old Scott G-series Pow-R-Ply 9ft for 4 weight & really love the rod with an old Orvis cfo III.

IWC de Schaffhausen. Beautiful swiss watches

I wonder if the Winston rod that you are referring to is the Tom Morgan Favorite (TMF). It is a four weight rod though.

Tom is no longer with Winston, but that rod is a classic. It’s about all that i fish with nowadays.

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Great report! Really envy you for the opportunity.... Thanks for sharing Rick!  

Thank you for the report! Ever since I was at Tourneau this past spring I just can't get that IWC Aquatimer out of my head...though I never could afford it, it is one awesome watch :-! Cheers, Griff  

Thanks for the report! :-! The IWC Big Pilot has been on my wish list sometime :-d  

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