decksurgeon
177
The New IWC Boutique in Singapore
A Visit to the IWC Boutique Singapore
(c) Decksurgeon 2009
===============================================
The Entrance into the IWC Boutique Singapore
Clean cut displays of Polished Stainless Steel and Glass
From the entrance the "Lounge" area is on the right and separated by the open black bookshelf
A Display in the center of the boutique showcases the IWC Vintage Collection in Platinum
Tables are leather covered and the object seen is actually a mirror on the reverse so that you can view how watches look like on your wrist
When you walk into the boutique and look to your left you will see this section of the boutique.
The 2 display cases on either side now showcase some pieces from the IWC museum collection.
In the future these display cases will showcase the new IWC Aquatimer collection.
The boutique is not 100% and the blank wall above the showcases will be mounted with large scale working models of IWC movements in the future.
Legendary IWC watches on loan from the Museum: IWC for Porsche, DaVinci Perpetual Calendar, IWC Il Destriero Scafusia grande Complication, Original handwound Portuguese watches.
Overview of the main section of the Boutique viewed from the Lounge Section
One for the collectors.....IWC umbrellas!
A close up view of the shelf that separates the main section of th boutique from the "Lounge" section
The Lounge.................
Overview of the lounge seciton.
The 2 chairs that are side-by-side will be replaced in the future with a coutch.
*Boutique opening was brought forward in Singapore so what you see in all the pictures are not 100% complete in certain areas
The Lounge section featues specific displays that have items and materials related to an individual IWC range.
Ample reading material is avaliable for the collector or any enthusiast to learn more about the brand
The most facinating book is the hardcover on the Grande Complication
You may also purchase this book from the IWC website
Another item for the insane collector......IWC Champagne glasses complete with IWC leather coasters!
Another view of the Lounge area this time facing the entrance
The warm brown inlays of the wooden panels are imported from Switzerland for this section of the Boutique.
You would find the same unified theme & concept in the new Flagship Hong Kong boutique of IWC also
A fine selection of IWC Ingenieur watches on display
This section of the display in the Lounge is attibuted to Leonardo DaVinci.
(c) Decksurgeon 2009
===============================================
International Watch Company is synonymous with Probus Scafusia which means "Good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen". Collectors and owners of IWC timepieces emanating from the house of Schaffhausen will always be enthralled with the strengths of the IWC brand and what it represents.
IWC watches have this air of a gentleman's atmosphere, distinct restraint and calm.
They are never loud and 'in your face' but inversely have a tendency towards the understatement. Combined with the high watchmakers art and complex technology the brand has become a personal favorite and many other fans would no doubt agree to this.
The fortunate opportunity to travel has brought me into contact with many IWC boutiques all over the world. Boutique Schaffhausen, Istanbul, Macau, Dubai, Hong Kong and even our neighbor Kuala Lumpur - Now perhaps I need not travel anymore!! We are blessed today with an IWC Boutique in Singapore. It is situated in the island's latest premier shopping mall ION Orchard (on the second floor).
The original birth of the IWC boutique design was tasked to a chap called Guy Bove. Like the founder of IWC, Mr Bove is an American and spent his childhood between Switzerland and the USA. He studied in the Art Center in California but grew up near Geneva. Mr Bove is also graced with an engineering degree and this provides any designer with a balance to the technical side of a project.
When he joined IWC in 2002, Guy was tasked to overhaul the pilot's watches and come up with a new design for the DaVinci. Both product identities now are stronger and unmistakable. This is the purest truth and outcome in any product design! His other task was also to give the IWC boutiques its distinctive look. The original look of the old boutique concept was very classy but industrial in nature, plenty of glass, polished aluminum and white surfaces. This older design was sometimes though of as too 'cold & clinical'.
Present day, Guy has left IWC but his hallmarks of exceptional talent and design vision would continue to live on and are improved upon. The second generation boutiques of IWC have changes to them to make them more warm, more inviting and not so 'cold clinical'. I spoke with Alexandra Weis from IWC that is the Trade and Marketing Project Manager that is responsible for the look and feel of all the new generation boutiques today. She works in close collaboration with the Chief design Architect of IWC (Christoph Grainger) to bring you the new boutiques with what Alexandra describes as "a woman's touch" - The new generation boutiques are still as sharp and smart but with the inclusiveness of "welcoming warmth" factor.
When you walk into a IWC Boutique (any boutique worldwide actually) there are two things that strike you:
(1) The luxurious ambience - (in the older generation boutiques black, white and grey, latest generation adds brown warm shades) restricts itself to the essential and underlines the engineering-related character of the brand.
(2) The clear and technically elegant design - emphasizes the high quality standards of IWC.
The interiors of these boutiques were all created at the IWC Creative Center in Schaffhausen. The showcase utilizes materials such as polished stainless steel, brushed aluminum and black/brown color elements. All these themes are based directly on IWC’s watch designs. Every attention is given to fine detailing and craftsmanship. The ambient finishes add a layer of luxurious warmth to the spatial experience. In the Singapore boutique a large open lounge with low display tables marks the highlight of this distinctive boutique. The display furniture is executed in glass, steel. Tinted wood furniture is complemented by smoked oak flooring and brown brushed timber wall paneling.
Patrons of IWC who wish to combine the purchase of their timepiece with a maximum of brand identity can make close contact with the Schaffhausen masterpieces at any IWC boutique worldwide. No boutique would be complete without a comprehensive collection of IWC watches and boutique exclusives that collectors vie for with great determination and grit.
All the boutiques have themes that unify the brand experience and align the customer experience to a consistent level of par-excellence. Every single boutique that I have personally visited exudes a level of service that is consistent with expectations.
With this opening of a boutique in Singapore, the store can perhaps also serve as a location for exclusive IWC events in the future. I won't let the cat out of the bag too much........ but over lunch at the Rhine falls not too long ago with the man himself - expect soon a visit from the "Einstein of Schaffhausen" to Singapore.
Enjoy the photoessay
IWC watches have this air of a gentleman's atmosphere, distinct restraint and calm.
They are never loud and 'in your face' but inversely have a tendency towards the understatement. Combined with the high watchmakers art and complex technology the brand has become a personal favorite and many other fans would no doubt agree to this.
The fortunate opportunity to travel has brought me into contact with many IWC boutiques all over the world. Boutique Schaffhausen, Istanbul, Macau, Dubai, Hong Kong and even our neighbor Kuala Lumpur - Now perhaps I need not travel anymore!! We are blessed today with an IWC Boutique in Singapore. It is situated in the island's latest premier shopping mall ION Orchard (on the second floor).
The original birth of the IWC boutique design was tasked to a chap called Guy Bove. Like the founder of IWC, Mr Bove is an American and spent his childhood between Switzerland and the USA. He studied in the Art Center in California but grew up near Geneva. Mr Bove is also graced with an engineering degree and this provides any designer with a balance to the technical side of a project.
When he joined IWC in 2002, Guy was tasked to overhaul the pilot's watches and come up with a new design for the DaVinci. Both product identities now are stronger and unmistakable. This is the purest truth and outcome in any product design! His other task was also to give the IWC boutiques its distinctive look. The original look of the old boutique concept was very classy but industrial in nature, plenty of glass, polished aluminum and white surfaces. This older design was sometimes though of as too 'cold & clinical'.
Present day, Guy has left IWC but his hallmarks of exceptional talent and design vision would continue to live on and are improved upon. The second generation boutiques of IWC have changes to them to make them more warm, more inviting and not so 'cold clinical'. I spoke with Alexandra Weis from IWC that is the Trade and Marketing Project Manager that is responsible for the look and feel of all the new generation boutiques today. She works in close collaboration with the Chief design Architect of IWC (Christoph Grainger) to bring you the new boutiques with what Alexandra describes as "a woman's touch" - The new generation boutiques are still as sharp and smart but with the inclusiveness of "welcoming warmth" factor.
When you walk into a IWC Boutique (any boutique worldwide actually) there are two things that strike you:
(1) The luxurious ambience - (in the older generation boutiques black, white and grey, latest generation adds brown warm shades) restricts itself to the essential and underlines the engineering-related character of the brand.
(2) The clear and technically elegant design - emphasizes the high quality standards of IWC.
The interiors of these boutiques were all created at the IWC Creative Center in Schaffhausen. The showcase utilizes materials such as polished stainless steel, brushed aluminum and black/brown color elements. All these themes are based directly on IWC’s watch designs. Every attention is given to fine detailing and craftsmanship. The ambient finishes add a layer of luxurious warmth to the spatial experience. In the Singapore boutique a large open lounge with low display tables marks the highlight of this distinctive boutique. The display furniture is executed in glass, steel. Tinted wood furniture is complemented by smoked oak flooring and brown brushed timber wall paneling.
Patrons of IWC who wish to combine the purchase of their timepiece with a maximum of brand identity can make close contact with the Schaffhausen masterpieces at any IWC boutique worldwide. No boutique would be complete without a comprehensive collection of IWC watches and boutique exclusives that collectors vie for with great determination and grit.
All the boutiques have themes that unify the brand experience and align the customer experience to a consistent level of par-excellence. Every single boutique that I have personally visited exudes a level of service that is consistent with expectations.
With this opening of a boutique in Singapore, the store can perhaps also serve as a location for exclusive IWC events in the future. I won't let the cat out of the bag too much........ but over lunch at the Rhine falls not too long ago with the man himself - expect soon a visit from the "Einstein of Schaffhausen" to Singapore.
Enjoy the photoessay
The Entrance into the IWC Boutique Singapore
Clean cut displays of Polished Stainless Steel and Glass
From the entrance the "Lounge" area is on the right and separated by the open black bookshelf
A Display in the center of the boutique showcases the IWC Vintage Collection in Platinum
Tables are leather covered and the object seen is actually a mirror on the reverse so that you can view how watches look like on your wrist
When you walk into the boutique and look to your left you will see this section of the boutique.
The 2 display cases on either side now showcase some pieces from the IWC museum collection.
In the future these display cases will showcase the new IWC Aquatimer collection.
The boutique is not 100% and the blank wall above the showcases will be mounted with large scale working models of IWC movements in the future.
Legendary IWC watches on loan from the Museum: IWC for Porsche, DaVinci Perpetual Calendar, IWC Il Destriero Scafusia grande Complication, Original handwound Portuguese watches.
Overview of the main section of the Boutique viewed from the Lounge Section
One for the collectors.....IWC umbrellas!
A close up view of the shelf that separates the main section of th boutique from the "Lounge" section
The Lounge.................
Overview of the lounge seciton.
The 2 chairs that are side-by-side will be replaced in the future with a coutch.
*Boutique opening was brought forward in Singapore so what you see in all the pictures are not 100% complete in certain areas
The Lounge section featues specific displays that have items and materials related to an individual IWC range.
Ample reading material is avaliable for the collector or any enthusiast to learn more about the brand
The most facinating book is the hardcover on the Grande Complication
You may also purchase this book from the IWC website
Another item for the insane collector......IWC Champagne glasses complete with IWC leather coasters!
Another view of the Lounge area this time facing the entrance
The warm brown inlays of the wooden panels are imported from Switzerland for this section of the Boutique.
You would find the same unified theme & concept in the new Flagship Hong Kong boutique of IWC also
A fine selection of IWC Ingenieur watches on display
This section of the display in the Lounge is attibuted to Leonardo DaVinci.
The textures, elements and depth of the boutique make for great Black & White Photography.
Enjoy the last few shots
And finally, the next best thing after visiting a IWC Boutique would be the logical step of visitng the IWC factory and IWC museum in Schaffhausen Switzerland. If you thought that the boutique experience was stunning, viewing the factory and actual manufacture would be the epitome of the relationship of discovery with the brand.
IWC Schaffhausen & Probus Scafusia!
The New IWC Boutique in Singapore
A Visit to the IWC Boutique Singapore (c) Decksurgeon 2009 =============================================== International Watch Company is synonymous with Probus Scafusia which means "Good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen". Collectors and owners of I...
What a beautiful place! Thanks.
Best of luck for all the IWC team members. Cheers! Vte
glad you like it Pinky *grin*....the White Balance is a bit off tho...
on the pics as I didnt a grey card on me to set it at the time of shooting. I apologise for the slightly warm pics, a tad bit too 'yellow'. In the actual boutique, the backing of the "IWC Schaffhausen" word for example is completely white, in the pics the...
Thanks for the report Doc
First L'Atelier and now this... did you ever leave ION? - SJX
most welcome :-)
they should have built a hotel in ION.....i'd permamnently live there *LOL!*
residence
You should have gotten one so you may continue to spend more time there and post more superb pix here Mech.
Thanks for the photos!
The boutique does look modern and inviting. I like that IWC has let the store borrow some vintage pieces from the manufacturer's museum to display. This unique decor serves to tie together IWC's past and present. Cheers, Daos
Is that triangular IWC block for sale?
Thanks JM for the report! There are just so many interesting items in the boutique besides the watches. I find the triangular block with "IWC" elegantly simple and most representative . . it is IWC!
it might be, but in the flagship boutique in HK
IWC have items now called "FBI"=Flagship boutique Items. You will find al lot of this mechandise in the Hong Kong Flagship IWC Boutique. they will have leather jackets, flippers, snorkels et cetera et cetera. most of the items on display in the HK Flagshi...
The nicest IWC boutique I could ever imagine...
I've been to a couple IWC boutiques around the globe. The ones that come to memory include Beverly Hills and Bangkok (Siam Paragon Shopping Mall). But this boutique is simply mind-blowing and extremely meaningful when taken into context of the brand. Extr...
thanks for the post..
it looks a lot of interesting little displays in the shop, e.g. the IWC bookstands. it would be lovely to have one in my house. many thanks. stefan
I like the style of this boutique
Thanks for posting so many pictures which allow us to discover a lot of details of this new boutique. Emmanuel