Schaffhausen, 6th April 2021 – IWC Schaffhausen launches a smartphone app in time for the digital Watches and Wonders exhibition. This IWC APP will bring the Swiss luxury watchmaker even closer to watch lovers, connecting IWC’s global family digitally. The signature launch feature is a virtual watch try-on based on Augmented Reality (AR). Customers can point their camera at their wrist and try on IWC’s 2021 novelties virtually.
The mobile app represents an exciting new channel to engage with IWC digitally and always provides the latest insight into its universe. The main launch feature is a virtual watch try-on based on Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Customers can point the camera of their smartphone at their wrist where they will then be able to see a watch true to its actual size. This new functionality not only makes IWC’s high-quality mechanical timepieces much more tangible but also enables customers to compare different case diameters.
“For IWC, technology is never just an end in itself, but always a means to improve our customer’s experience and offer tangible added value. While this year’s Watches and Wonders event will again be held virtually, we wanted to make sure that our partners, clients and fans will be able to see our novelties on their wrists when we reveal them tomorrow. Recent progress in AR technology has been a game changer, allowing us to bring our watches to people’s homes virtually”, explains Dominic Weir, Chief Digital Officer of IWC Schaffhausen.
In addition to the virtual watch try-on, the app is filled with exciting features and exclusive content related to the world of IWC. The brand also plans to reveal compelling stories within its relaunched podcast format. The launch guest will be no other than 7-time F1TM world champion and IWC brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton. Over the coming months, IWC will gradually and continuously improve and extend the app with new features and content to enhance the customer experience.
THE LATEST CHAPTER IN IWC’S DIGITAL JOURNEY
For many years, IWC has been at the forefront of integrating digital technologies to create new ways for people to interact with the brand and enhance the customer experience. IWC has launched several new digital products and experiences in 2020 alone. One example is the Cyberloupe, a digitally enhanced watchmaker’s magnifying glass that enables watch lovers to peek over a watchmaker’s shoulder from anywhere in the world. Recently, IWC also began to offer customised guided virtual tours of its manufacturing centre in Schaffhausen. The brand is also a pioneer in “new retail”. Styled as the home of IWC’s classic racing team, the enlarged and refurbished flagship boutique in Zurich, Switzerland, combines a physical shopping experience with innovative and new digital tools.
The new IWC APP will initially be available in English and Chinese. Users can download it for iOS from the Apple App Store. In the future, IWC will also offer more languages and a version for Android users.
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 titanium aluminide 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.
