Almost a decade after opening up shop on Amsterdam‘s golden mile of luxury shopping, IWC has raised its profile by relocating to bigger premises further down the street. Here, the renowned Swiss watch company has established its fifth global flagship store following openings in Zurich, Dubai, Shanghai and Los Angeles. The opening further enhances the Dutch capital’s stature as the leading luxury shopping destination in the Benelux region. Occupying a lofty ground floor unit, the store has been designed by the company’s in-house design team in Schaffhausen, and features an open-plan space furnished with nifty interactive displays with touchscreen technology, allowing shoppers instant access to a wealth of company history, product data and customisation possibilities. The IWC boutique seamlessly blends different textures and materials in a colour palette that is reminiscent of Mojave Desert, Lake Tahoe and Woodland—all part of the ceramic colours the watch brand developed in collaboration with Pantone.
A so-called Engineering Wall elaborately informs shoppers about the storied brand’s engineering heritage and expertise, and doe so from different perspectives. Additionally, the wall showcases watches developed in IWC’s engineering division XPL. And as straps can be defining for a watch, the Strap Studio presents various strap options, ranging from water-resistant rubber straps in fashionable colours, to leather alternatives like TimberTex and MiraTex. Selected watches can be fitted with new straps on-site to customise them to one’s individual tastes and needs. Further boosting the artisanal shopping experience is the in-house watchmaker atelier. Sensory overload? Now worries. Two comfy lounge areas are readily available, one with a fireplace for the cool winter days and a large screen that enables shoppers to take a virtual tour of IWC’s Swiss home base, while a separate boardroom offers a space for watchmaking classes and meetings. Last but not least, the Big Pilot Bar readily awaits shoppers for drink during or after purchasing that coveted trophy watch. © superfuture.com
IWC
P.C. Hooftstraat 132-134 (Oud Zuid)
1071CE Amsterdam
Telephone +31 20 2800812
Mon 1pm-5.45pm
Tue-Sat 10am-5.45pm
Sun 1pm-5.45pm
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