IWC Schaffhausen and The Producers Group announce the opening of an all-new flagship boutique experience in Zurich. IWC Racing Works takes visitors on a high-tech, high-touch immersive journey into IWC’s racing heritage.
This themed retail experience uses a mixture of memorabilia and unique timepieces to tell the long-standing connection between IWC and the world of automotive engineering and motorsport. Utilizing interactive and virtual reality, guests will experience the next level in retail design.
“Zurich turned out incredible, we couldn’t be happier with the results, the boutique is a complete, full 360-degree immersive flagship store concept. Everything IWC touches in the world of racing comes to life in this boutique. Visitors can experience a loft style atmosphere, where garage and living room blend to create this contemporary space, though based on classic vintage racing, and has immediately returned to the position one of IWC’s highest earning locations,” says Pascal Sbrzesney, IWC Head of Architectural Concepts & Store Planning. “We knew going into this location was going to be a challenge, creatively we were attempting something we really hadn’t done before, and we knew we were pushing the envelope. So, finding the right development and production partners like The Producers Group was paramount,” he continued.
The Producers Group had a significant role in the development and construction of this new boutique. Our Glendale office working alongside our European partners were able to help redefine IWC’s classic boutique experience into an immersive flagship store concept.” Lauren Olivarez, Director of Design for The Producers Group stated. “By adding a level of story and customized exploration into the design activation and craftsman moments where the customer is actively integrated into the space and its history along with the personal engagement of selecting a luxury watch. The interior is seamlessly blended with a vintage garage loft design with opulent finishes to create a unique contemporary themed environment,” she added.
All images courtesy IWC
“Each area has a personal character, either dedicated to one of our watch families or a chapter of the racing theme. There are open displays for the Portugieser & Pilots watches, where you can explore the full collection without a glass cube. We’ve placed them right in the lobby as these are IWC’s most iconic product lines and to lower the barrier to enter a luxury store. This new approach required a new design and integration of more technology. This was already an ambitious project before the challenges of 2020 even began.” says Sbrzesney.
“Despite the difficulties of 2020, TPGs approach to having a global team allowed us to continue to support the Client’s installation schedule,” said Claudia Nunn, Director of Production at The Producers Group.
IWC Racing Works is located on the ‘home straight’ of Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, the expanded and remodeled luxury boutique invites guests to enter the world of a bustling motor-racing workshop.
IWC Racing Works Zurich is the first in a series of themed IWC flagship boutiques around the world. The next projects will continue to tell the IWC story of engineering and adventure – one exhilarating chapter at a time.
