At the foot of the iconic Matterhorn lies the idyllic mountain village of Zermatt. For the very first time and in collaboration with its locally established partner Schindler Zermatt, IWC Schaffhausen is bringing its engineering spirit to the heart of the renowned mountaineering and skiing destination with the opening of a pop-up store.
The pop-up embodies the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer’s DNA, combining clean lines, strong visuals, and the ceramic colour “Woodland” developed with Pantone®. Since its introduction in 2022, the rich green hue has played a vital part in the ceramic IWC Pilot’s Watch collection. Not only is it a representation of IWC’s ceramic expertise, but the colour reflects the nature and unparalleled scenery of Zermatt. The store’s large windows provide a seamless connection between the outside and inside.
While IWC typically employs black and white for its temporary boutiques, this time, IWC has incorporated warm accents of wood into the furnishings, deviating from the usual monochrome palette. It features a small bar area where visitors can sit and familiarize themselves with the displayed watches, creating a comfortable corner for them.
IWC pioneered ceramic in the watch industry
The ceramic Pilot’s Watches are one of the highlights of the pop-up. IWC is a pioneer in the use of ceramic for watch cases. In 1986, it introduced the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. 3755). It was the world’s first wristwatch with a case made of black zirconium oxide ceramic. IWC was also one of the first watch brands to push forward the development of different ceramic colours, such as white, blue, and green. To manufacture a watch case in coloured ceramic, zirconium oxide is combined with other metallic oxides. The final colour results from the exact mixing ratio of these raw materials. Moreover, the manufacturing process and its parameters – such as the exact temperature or the duration of the sintering process – must be adapted to each colour.
In the pop-up store, visitors can try on the latest references of the “Colors of TOP GUN” collection, such as the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN “Oceana” (Ref. 389404) with a blue ceramic case, the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Woodland (Ref. IW395601) featuring a dark green ceramic case, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Mojave Desert (Ref. IW389402), and the classic Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN (Ref. IW389401).
The IWC pop-up store in Zermatt will remain open until the end of October 2024.
