IWC RANKS TOP IN WWF SWISS WATCH AND JEWELLERY SECTOR REPORT
Schaffhausen, 18th December 2018 – IWC Schaffhausen has been ranked as the best-performing company in the Swiss Watch and Jewellery sector in a WWF Switzerland report examining the environmental impact of 15 brands.
In a report released by WWF Switzerland on 18th December 2018, IWC Schaffhausen ranks top among 15 watch and jewellery brands, and is the only brand to place above the mid-way point of WWF’s six-tier ratings system. WWF’s report examines how companies take responsibility for the environmental impacts of their activities, and how transparently these efforts are communicated.
IWC Schaffhausen integrates sustainability into its business practices, and in 2018 released a report to GRI standards describing ongoing activities and future goals. IWC applauds WWF Switzerland for drawing attention to the environmental impact of the watch and jewellery sector, and for encouraging consumers to consider the origins and durability of their purchases.
“IWC has been working for many years to ensure our watches are made to the highest standards, with careful consideration of our social and environmental impact. We recognize that there is more work to be done, and our efforts continue to evolve.”
IWC’s watch production and headquarters in Switzerland are powered by renewable energy, as is IWC’s supplier of precious metals. IWC takes efforts to primarily source recycled metals, and ensures all of its suppliers of precious metals and diamonds meet the industry best practice standards set out by the Responsible Jewellery Council. Since 2013, IWC has been a recipient of Positive Luxury’s “Brand to Trust” Butterfly Award. Next steps for IWC’s management of its environmental impact include further efforts to address the greenhouse gas emissions generated by shipping, reducing the volume and weight of its packaging, and seeking to ensure plastics are reusable, recyclable or compostable.
IWC Schaffhausen is the Engineer of Watchmaking. In 1868, the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones established the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. By combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge industrial technology and processes, he laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach to watchmaking.
IWC’s distinctive and pure design is brought to life through collections ranging from elegant dress watches to sports and luxury sports watches, notably the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur. Over its more than 150-year history, IWC has earned a reputation for creating professional instrument watches and functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust and easy to use.
A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramic, IWC specializes in performance materials such as Ceratanium®. IWC’s advanced engineering division XPL develops technologies that enhance the durability of mechanical watches and extend their applications to environments with extreme conditions such as jet aviation and human spaceflight.
IWC is a leader in luxury watchmaking, crafting timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improving every aspect of how it manufactures, distributes and services its watches responsibly. Empowering the next generation of engineers, the brand also partners with organizations that work globally to support children and young people. IWC. EngineeredTM.