At IWC Schaffhausen we combine precision engineering with exclusive design to produce finely crafted watches that will last for generations. Our product is inherently sustainable, and we take care to make our watches responsibly. In this, we do our part to work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular “Responsible Consumption and Production” and “Decent Work and Economic Growth”. We outline our approach in the Swiss luxury watch industry’s first corporate sustainability report aligned to Global Reporting Initiative Standards, available here.
Our sustainability initiatives can be grouped into four focus areas: Sourcing, Environment, IWC as an Employer, and Community Investment. Themes relating to all four areas are Governance and Ethics, Innovation, and Communications and Engagement.
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In our sourcing, we ask that all our suppliers meet our high standards, including in their environmental and social impacts. IWC and all our suppliers of gold, diamonds and platinum group metals hold Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) Code of Practices certification. IWC is currently working towards recertification to the new, more stringent RJC Code of Practices standards. We take environmental and social impact into account in our sourcing decisions beyond the materials needed for our watches, integrating this also into purchasing for our Boutiques, marketing materials and offices. We work together with our suppliers to implement best practices.
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We aim to minimize the environmental impact of our operations, and take opportunities to promote practices that support a healthy environment. Our Headquarters and our new Manufacturing Center are powered by renewable energy, as is the refiner we source our gold from. Features such as sensor-controlled sunshades, rooftop solar panels and heat recovery from the production processes facilitate optimal energy management in our Manufacturing Center. We are committed to reducing waste, and have introduced smaller, high-quality packaging that uses 90% less plastic than our previous watch boxes. Leading the way in our industry, we have signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
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Our watches are made in Schaffhausen, using a combination of modern technology and craftsmanship skills that have been developed over centuries and that are part of Switzerland’s cultural heritage. Our Manufacturing Center is designed to be an ideal place to work, with ergonomic workstations, abundant natural daylight and a canteen serving fresh, seasonal, local food. The Center has its own bus stop, to encourage low-emissions commuting, and like our Headquarters it has free charging stations for electric vehicles. Our employees are supported in their skills development and life-long learning, and the opportunity to enjoy flexible working hours is one of the many initiatives intended to promote well-being.
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Our Community Investment program includes offering our colleagues volunteering opportunities, as well as our support for organizational partners such as Laureus Sport for Good, the Cousteau Society, and the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation. Our colleagues in Schaffhausen have the opportunity twice a year to participate in activities organized by the Forest Stewardship Council to improve the condition of local forests, and we encourage all our employees to download the “Be My Eyes” app, to support blind and visually impaired people worldwide. Our organizational partners are supported through program funding, including through the sale or auction of special edition watches.
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Sustainability is integrated into IWC Schaffhausen’s day to day work by our Sustainability Committee. The Committee meets quarterly, and is chaired by our Chief Marketing Officer, who has a strong personal interest in working to have a positive social and environmental impact. Committee members representing all areas of our business report directly to our CEO, and our Supply Chain, Gold and Diamonds sourcing, Innovation and Communications activities are additionally represented by the senior leaders of those areas. Together, the sustainability committee sets targets against which we can measure our performance, and evaluates new opportunities to further improve our business practices.
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IWC Schaffhausen was founded by a pioneer, and this spirit lives on in our use of innovative materials and processes. Innovation offers us opportunities to work more sustainability to the benefit of our customers, employees and society as a whole. When innovative materials pass our rigorous quality control tests, they are integrated into our products. We are currently testing a number of new materials that could become sustainable additions to our products.
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Everyone at IWC is encouraged to share ideas for improving our business practices, including our sustainability, through our “bright ideas” program. Implemented ideas earn their advocate cash rewards, with the employee who suggests the year’s best idea receiving an IWC watch. We describe this program and more in our industry-leading 2018 Sustainability report, the first report by a Swiss luxury watch company to Global Reporting Initiative standards. IWC is committed to transparency, and to communicating our activities openly on an ongoing basis.
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IWC Schaffhausen has been honoured with a number of awards for our sustainability work, and we are particularly proud to have been recognized by Positive Luxury as a “Luxury Brand to Trust” since 2014. We display our Butterfly Award in each of our Boutiques worldwide, engaging our customers in our sustainability story.
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Laureus
IWC Schaffhausen is one of the main sponsors of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, an organization that brings together top-flight sport and social commitment at a high level.
Cousteau
IWC is a partner of the Cousteau Society and dedicated to protect the ocean life and support the explorations and observations of ecosystems all over the world.