The new building with a total floor area of 13,500 square meters will create space for the production of both existing and new IWC-manufactured movements, including the 69000-calibre family. It presents an opportunity to bring together production areas that were previously spread out across different locations and thus to further optimize the existing production process workflows and structures. Once construction is complete, the Merishausen site will provide workspace for around 400 skilled employees.
“The strategic expansion of our in-house movement expertise is a priority for us, so I am delighted that everything is going according to plan”, explains Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “The biggest ever investment in the history of our company is not only a clear commitment to Schaffhausen as our location, but it also underlines our firm belief in the future of the high-quality mechanical watches that we have been manufacturing here for almost 150 years – watches that have made the name of this city famous throughout the world,”
Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC, Georges Kern, Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital of Richemont, and Andreas Voll, COO of IWC. © IWC
Along with around a hundred craftsmen, the topping out ceremony was also attended by numerous high-profile representatives from the world of politics and business.
The production departments for cases and parts for movements which are still located in Neuhausen will be relocated to the new building from October 2017. Then in January, the movement assembly department will be moving from Baumgartenstrasse in Schaffhausen’s old town to Merishausen. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for June 2018, along with an open day for the people of Schaffhausen. The events promise to be one of the highlights of IWC’s 150th anniversary year.
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