Schaffhausen, 27th May 2020 - IWC Schaffhausen and Facebook have joined forces again for a new digital project to mark the launch of IWC’s latest Portugieser collection. The innovative Facebook Chatbot brings online customers closer than ever before to IWC, forming an integral part of the new collection’s presentation.
Providing a new way for customers to communicate with the Swiss luxury watchmaker, this collaborative project between IWC and Facebook’s Messenger team and Creative Shop is designed to emulate the personal experience offered by an IWC boutique, via a virtual one-to-one messenger chat with a virtual advisor. Customers using the Chatbot are among the first to discover the luxury watchmaker’s new collection. As well as being able to ask for tailor-made recommendations based on their own responses, exclusive clips of the latest watches on a model’s wrist will give the impression of a digital ‘try-on’. The platform can also be used to book appointments in one of 10 selected boutiques for a specified date in the future, to contact a concierge directly, buy, or pre-order watches online.
“IWC has always looked to offer its customers valuable, innovative experiences,” explained Dominic Weir, Chief Digital Officer at IWC Schaffhausen. “Digital development throughout the customer journey is close to our hearts, and it’s a commitment which seems more relevant than ever. It allows us to be here for customers, as we always have been, providing the same high-quality experience they expect.”
Now live on https://m.me/IWCwatches, the Chatbot initially runs as a pilot in Switzerland, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States and Singapore, but is expected to be rolled out across other territories in the future.
Both pioneers in their fields, Facebook and IWC partnered as recently as August 2019 on a project to share the Silver Spitfire’s expedition with as many people as possible worldwide. The two brands successfully broadcast jointly and in real-time as the historic spitfire took to the air to begin its record-breaking round-theworld flight. An audience of over 200,000 people tuned in to the stream via Facebook’s online and mobile platforms, while thousands more watched on digital displays at Paris-CDG Airport.
Founded in 2004, Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. People use Facebook’s products to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titaniumaluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.
