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International Watch Co
News From The East |  | | |
| (July 15, 2005) | | | 
| | IWC, the country’s most easterly watch manufacturer, is expanding even further to the east! The subsidiary of the Richemont group has in fact just opened the new East building at its headquarters in Schaffhouse.
To meet increasing demand for its watch designs and strengthen its competitiveness on international markets, IWC needed to expand and to modernise its production capacity. With the inauguration on 8 June this year of the new East building at its Schaffhouse head office, the job is now done, at least in part.
Designed by Schaffhouse architects Stefan Hofer and Urs Kick, who won the competition organised specially for the commission, this construction perfectly reflects the art of complex simplicity that characterises the exceptional watches manufactured at the foot of the Munot: watch movements that intelligently carry out their functions in optimal fashion, limit themselves to what is essential and guarantee perfect ease of use. The correlation between product and building is manifested in the use of simple, minimalist forms and construction materials such as glass, aluminium and concrete. The range of colours meanwhile is restricted to white, black and fine shades of grey.
Costing 11 million francs, the new East building (3,000 m2 spread over four floors, excluding the ground level and a basement) offers an attractive working environment for around 80 employees in the sectors of movement production, finishing, case assembly, engraving, surface treatment and the construction of prototypes - previously scattered over five different sites and now gathered under one roof.
With a length of 45 metres and a width of 14 metres, this building - the largest extension built in the 137-year history of the Schaffhouse watch manufacturer - elegantly flanks the main building, commissioned by the American founder of IWC, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in 1874.
But IWC does not intend to stop there. The modernisation embodied by the new East building calls for optimisation of the firm’s other production sectors. A new West building is already planned (see photo of model). It will complement the East building in terms of architectonics and materials and will offer a floor space of 3,900 m2, providing the necessary conditions to meet growing production demands. It will also integrate a delivery and security area, a goods inspection area and a warehouse. The inauguration is planned for 2008. Between now and then, the firm’s museum is set to open its doors in the historical building. So, watch this space! |
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Tel. +41 (0)32 328 08 28, Fax +41 (0)32 328 08 80
