To coincide with its 150th anniversary, IWC opened its new Manufakturzentrum on the outskirts of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen. In the building, which was completed in just 21 months, the company combines traditional watchmaking craftsmanship with state-of-the-art production methods and technology. "Already in 1868, our founder Florentine Ariosto Jones was able to combine the art of watchmaking with advanced production methods. Since then, we have faithfully continued his engineering approach and even now, in our new Manufakturzentrum, we continue to combine craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology. The building not only offers optimal conditions for production and an excellent working environment for our employees, it also embodies the spirit of the IWC brand and allows visitors from all over the world to witness the manufacture of our movements and cases in person," comments Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of the brand. Both the production of the components and the manufacture movements and cases take place here. "The new building," says Andreas Voll, Coo of IWC, "has given us the opportunity to organise our production processes in exactly the right way so that they run smoothly and produce perfect results. Now, for example, the entire value-added production chain, from the raw material to the individual component to the complete manufacturing calibre, is arranged in a logical order on a single floor. The inauguration took place in an official ceremony in the presence of numerous guests, including brand ambassadors Fabian Cancellara and Patrick Seabase.
