Few luxury timepieces can match the elegance and craftsmanship of those manufactured by Switzerland’s International Watch Company (IWC) and few people in Northwest Indiana know them better than Frank Dresden of Albert’s Jewelers.
“[IWC] happens to create my favorite watches and swiss timepieces as they intrigue me the most out of everything we carry here in our walls,” Dresden said. “I believe that this brand of timepieces is in a league of its own in regards to design, functionality, and value.”
Desden recently spent five days in Schaffhausen, Switzerland visiting IWC’s headquarters, where he got an in-depth look at the hard work and intricate care that has earned the company its renown.
“We were shown everything,” he said, “movement assembly for in-house calibers, case production and assembly, rigorous quality control, and equipment engineering.”
They even got hands-on experience processing and applying some of their own perlage finishes to watch parts.
“My favorite part of the visit was being able to physically disassemble and reassemble our own IWC watch movement,” Dresden said.
In addition to touring the manufacturing center, he and his colleagues were shown around the IWC Museum in Schaffhausen, where they met with IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr and learned more about the history of the brand and its evolution through the years.
“IWC timepieces are special because of where they started, what they've been through and where they are now as a company,” Dresden said.
“During my trip [it surprised me to learn] how little most people know of IWC here in the United States [given that it is] such a large watch company,” he continued. He also noted the company’s dedication to sustainability and eco-efficiency, evident by the over 23,000 sq ft of solar panels on its roof.
Dresden’s fascination with Swiss watchmaking is evident to all his coworkers. He regularly goes out of his way—even coming in on days off—to get as much training and exposure as possible. Being presented with the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see and interact with the process in person was deeply meaningful to him.
“I would have to say that I was selected because of my interest in the brand and my dedication to learning more about their company,” he said. He looked forward to being able to share his new-found knowledge with his colleagues and clients back home.
“Having the opportunity to see the ground-up approach to a watchmaking company like IWC has given me the knowledge and hands-on experience that someone interested in fine, luxury timepieces will want when they are visiting our location to see the selection of IWC pieces we have,” Dresden said.