 IWC newly opened museum welcomes all the visitors in its new home found on the ground floor of the main building. At the same time, the IWC boutique has opened its doors for business, being located inside the new spatial concept. Having extended its premises, IWC Schaffhausen has created contemporary and luxurious surroundings to house its priceless exhibits reflecting the 139-year history of the brand. Watch lovers who come to visit the place will have a unique chance to study the past and present of the mechanical luxury watch and take the journey through time in the nice atmosphere of a gentlemen's club. Visitors of the museum will be able to thoroughly examine the exhibits and receive the necessary background information in a multimedia display cabinet, with help of lounge furniture provided with audio listening stations and interactive screens. The opening of the IWC museum took place in 1993, having marked the 125-th anniversary of the brand's foundation. In fact, IWC became the first watch manufacturer to open its own museum. Today the museum is accommodated in an absolutely new contemporary venue, having become accessible to the general public for the first time. The floor plan provides an exciting layout -it starts at the museum entrance with a display of historical watch production. Besides comprehensive documentation, the visitors are invited to see a modern watchmaking workshop in the IWC Customer Service Department. The first 100 years of the brand's history are to be studied in the west wing. The history is presented along a time line in the multimedia display cabinet. Exquisite exhibits draw attention to the topics of the most important epochs. The museum's light-infused east wing highlights the period following 1970. The present-day IWC watch families are shown against the backdrop of the corresponding emotional theme. The museum showcases about 230 choice exhibits, trying to maintain a lively dialog through special ever-changing exhibitions. IWC has also planned the nice premises for holding customer events and receptions. The display concept of the museum has been worked out by the Institute for Cultural Exchange, Tubingen. The architects Smolenicky and Partner, Zurich, realized the ambitious project, having united traditional craft skills with high-tech materials. The use of macassar ebony adds a rather archaic note to the museum's space, while such materials as glass fibre-reinforced plastic, high-grade metals, and high-gloss paint taken from the automobile industry clearly hint at the engineering character of the brand. Tinted glass and sophisticatedly stitched varnished leather are combined with a lacquered parquet floor, and a metallic-sheen carpet. The IWC color palette characterized by white and gray shades is emphasized by dark tones. The presentation and lighting systems in the IWC museum have been based upon the most innovative solutions elaborated in conjunction with international planners. They have worked out a special lighting strategy to show off the small-sized yet highly detailed exhibits in the best possible way. The lightning in the rooms of the museum is created exclusively via the windows and display cabinets. The light dimension produces a spherical effect and creates a specific setting for the IWC notable timepieces and other exhibits. Due to the artistic illumination of the suspended cabinets the watches on display seem to be floating. Along the inauguration of the new museum, the IWC Schaffhausen is going to open its new boutique right inside the newly designed premises, so the visitors of the museum will be able to acquire IWC exclusive timepieces directly at the point of production. Every customer will be welcomed by an experienced assistant to provide all the information about IWC well-known classics such as the Portofino, diver’s watches and pilot’s watches and the Grande Complication. The luxurious interior was created by the internal design team at IWC, that have already worked on the furnishings of the previously opened IWC boutiques in Dubai, Las Vegas, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Moscow, Zurich and Geneva. | 
