IWC Luxury Boutique Zurich Retail Design with VR

The new IWC Racing Works Store in Zurich combines racing and watchmaking with innovative digital applications. Smart displays and ESL meet LED walls, projection mapping and even virtual and augmented reality. A modern yet elegant customer experience rarely seen in retail.

In its new boutique concept, Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC pays tribute to its racing heritage, taking visitors on an interactive journey into the world of the IWC Racing Team. The newly opened IWC Schaffhausen flagship boutique in Zurich combines elegant retail design with motorsport memorabilia, innovative digital applications such as virtual and augmented reality, and even has a live link to the IWC manufacturing centre. Rarely do we see projects that use digital touchpoints as elegantly as IWC in Zurich.

For example, the content on the displays in the shop windows can be controlled from the street via mobile phone. In the entrance area, a magical book that relies on interactive projection mapping introduces visitors to the founding history and the most important product families of IWC.

The focus of the boutique is, of course, the presentation of the complete watch collections from Schaffhausen.

The centrepiece: a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing experienced in VR

The boutique has been divided into different thematic zones. The centrepiece is the garage with an iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, the official car of the IWC Racing Team. It has already been driven by motorsport legends such as David Coulthard, Bernd Mayländer and Mercedes-AMG ambassador Bernd Schneider. Visitors can not only marvel at the silhouette of the gullwing - they can also get behind the wheel and put their driving skills to the test in a VR simulator.

The Hero Wall, a large-format LED wall, commemorates the most important victories of the IWC Racing Team drivers. The Engineering Lab tells the story of IWC's technical expertise and provides information about the most important innovations from the manufacture's 152-year history. Models of IWC's manufacture calibres and samples of case materials are complemented here by a modern multimedia presentation on ESL.

Watchmaker with AR

In the Driver's Lounge, IWC has implemented a shop-the-look concept in collaboration with Mr Porter. Here, visitors can complete the look of their watch with a selection of outfits and accessories. The workshop in the basement houses the watchmaker's workshop with an augmented reality (AR) video function as well as the aforementioned live connection to IWC's manufacturing centre in Schaffhausen.

Designed as an interior design workshop, Customs Studio specialises in personalising IWC watches, for example with new bracelets. Watch straps made of the characteristic red upholstery leather of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing are offered for sale exclusively in the Zurich boutique.

The visually appealing boutique with its many digital touchpoints makes you want to go retail. The in-store music for the new boutique was provided by the Belgian digital retail specialist Storever, now an M-Cube subsidiary.

The complete flagship boutique can also be viewed in virtual reality on iwc.com be visited.

Source: invidis