As we all know that the watch industry is moving in the direction of a greatly expanded Internet presence, with many perfect brands building out e-commerce platforms on their company websites. You may have noticed that Net-a-Porter as well and Mr. Porter have both been retailing luxury timepieces from the likes of Cartier, IWC, and Ressence since late last year, which is no coincidence. As you may recall, Richemont has been some form of shareholder (it has fluctuated over the years) in Net-a-Porter since 2010. Therefore, there should have been a sign of things to come, which brings me to today's announcement: IWC has launched its website again, and it includes an e-commerce platform.
This should come as no surprise for many reasons as I mentioned before. On one hand, it is the most popular and fashion method for all young people to purchase and it was only just in need of some time before larger watch brands began to get on board. Secondly, in the watch world, IWC has always been at the forefront of digital media and engagement. They have concentrated a lot on building their brand using celebrity ambassadors and lifestyle bloggers, which has gotten them far in their engagement with a younger demographic in the stuffy world of replica watches.
"We felt that this was the right time to launch e-commerce in the US. Especially in strong digital markets like the US, introducing brand e-commerce to complete the omnichannel experience is a necessary part of our service to our clients. We already saw great success with our partnerships with Mr. Porter and Net-a-Porter and we could see the demand for access to purchasing IWC online, especially in those areas where there might not be a retail location."
In the end, the fake IWC is one of the commercially strongest and most approachable replica watch brands owned by Richemont, mostly due to former CEO Georges Kern, and that torch continues to be carried by current CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr (you can catch an interview we did with him here). That, paired with Kern's new role as the Richemont Head of Watchmaking, Marketing, and Digital, makes this website/e-commerce redesign a natural and inevitable next step.
So what is new about the IWC website? Well, it has a fresh look and features many video content to accompany the products (the Pilot's video is quite enjoyable). The e-commerce platform is divided up by watch collection. Initially, the e-commerce platform will only be available in the United States, with an international roll-out to come shortly. Apart from the new website, IWC replica is re-launching their print magazine, Watch International, in digital form as the IWC Journal. This online magazine will feature both native and external content.