IWC Boutique - Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi

The brand’s multifaceted watch families and the selected editions available exclusively from IWC boutiques have found a new home in the UAE capital’s first stand-alone, high-end luxury shopping destination, Avenue at Etihad Towers. Transforming the skyline of the United Arab Emirates capital, Etihad Towers is the latest awe-inspiring landmark on the famed Abu Dhabi Corniche and an ideal home for the new IWC boutique.

Abu Dhabi is already well established as one of the most exclusive destinations for up market holidaymakers and offers a wealth of shopping opportunities for even the most discerning clientele. Furthermore, various museums, exhibitions and high class sport events, like the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, make the city a cultural hot spot in the region.

 IWC inaugurated their Abu Dhabi boutique on 05 Nov 2012 The inaugural event was held in the presence of His Excellency Nasser Al-Nowais, Chairman of AMS (Aswaq Management & Services), who along with other distinguished guests enjoyed an exclusive presentation of the Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia. The new home of IWC’s timepieces was now officially celebrated together with His Excellency Nasser Al-Nowais, Chairman of AMS, who joined the inauguration event together with Hannes Pantli, Member of the Board of Directors of IWC Schaffhausen, and Maxime Ferté, IWC Brand Director for the Middle East. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were issued with an exclusive invitation to discover the universes of the IWC watch families in their new setting.

To celebrate the opening of the new boutique, an exclusive presentation of IWC’s most complicated mechanical timepiece, the Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia (Ref. 5041), was held in Jumeirah at Etihad Towers for the guests in attendance. Over 500 individual components work together in faultless synchronized unison, from the patented constant-force tourbillon escapement to the gear train, culminating in the display of solar and sidereal time, twilight, sunrise and sunset, and the constantly changing view of the visible stars and constellations from the customer’s own horizon.

The IWC Boutique Abu Dhabi also features other exclusive timepieces such as the Portuguese Tourbillon Mystère Rétrograde (Ref.5044) which is equipped with the IWC 51900 calibre. Its retrograde date display is an original complication and together with the flying tourbillon at “12 o’clock” an optical highlight. Apart from the full collection, the new boutique in Avenue at Etihad Towers offers a range of watches exclusively available in IWC boutiques.

True to its corporate identity, IWC has created a homogeneous ambience that unites the distinctive architecture and styling of the watch families. Superbly designed by IWC’s in-house architects, the boutique is fitted out with sumptuous dark woods and exquisite materials. These create an elegant but welcoming atmosphere in all areas of the store and invite customers to discover IWC’s watchmaking heritage and six fascinating product worlds. Guests entering the boutique are greeted by an eye-catching façade of shiny, black glass. This gives way to a series of stunning window displays showcasing the magnificent Portuguese collection and legendary Pilot’s Watch family. In pride of place is the exclusive and completely overhauled TOP GUN line, which spearheaded the relaunch of the Pilot’s Watch family at the SIHH in Geneva in 2012.

Visitors to the boutique embark on a fascinating journey through the history of aviation and some of its iconic figures with the Pilot’s Watches. Through the Portuguese collection, they learn about the importance of precision timekeeping to navigation and the significance of seafarers from Portugal in our exploration of the planet. With the Aquatimer family, they take the plunge into the deep and discover yet more adventure with the Ingenieur. The Da Vinci collection is a tribute to the eponymous all-round genius of Renaissance Italy, while the picturesque little harbour town Portofino lends its name to the sixth IWC watch family and mirrors another aspect of Italian culture: la dolce vita and the laid-back atmosphere that attracted the great and the good to the Ligurian coast in the Fifties and Sixties.

Apart from the standard collection, another major attraction for visitors is the range of editions exclusively available in IWC boutiques. The experience of acquiring an IWC timepiece is exciting enough in itself, but it assumes an extra dimension when customers know they have the chance to obtain a model that is extremely rare.

The opening of the Abu Dhabi boutique in Avenue at Etihad Towers marks yet another milestone in IWC Schaffhausen’s ongoing quest to provide customers, collectors and fans of the brand with the ultimate watchmaking experience, which is based on a unique combination of unmatched engineering and technology with outstanding design. This is underpinned by excellence in every aspect of IWC’s service offering and set against the impressive backdrop of IWC’s history and heritage.

As the world of IWC comes to life at the UAE capital’s first stand-alone, high-end luxury shopping destination, IWC Schaffhausen continues to enrich its legacy with its ongoing dedication to giving watch aficionados and enthusiasts the ultimate experience in watchmaking and craftsmanship.

Boutique address
IWC Boutique Abu Dhabi
Avenue at Etihad Towers
Podium 1, Tower 3
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Phone +971 2 681 65 65
E-mail etihad@iwc.com