Places to Travel for Watches - Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen is another gem when it comes to travelling and experience the world of watches. Schaffhausen is located in the northern part of Switzerland in the Canton of Schaffhausen… yes the city is the same name as the canton! The city has a population of around 40,000 and is located by the northern part of the Rhine River that flows throughout Switzerland.

One of the most significant parts of Schaffhausen that brings in tourists from far and wide is known as Altstadt, or ‘old town’ in English. This area has incredible renaissance era buildings that are really a site to be seen. Its main industries that make up its economy are pharmaceuticals, Garmin is located in Schaffhausen and of course watchmaking. The most famous watch company located here is IWC.

IWC was founded by Florentine Jones in 1868 who was actually an American. IWC is known for their pilot or aviation style watches and is one of the only well-known Swiss watch companies in the eastern part of Switzerland.

IWC has an abundance of things to explore in Schaffhausen. First, visiting the IWC museum is a must. It is located right on the Rhine River which will give you an excellent view and in central Schaffhausen - what better located could one ask for? The museum has over 200 items tracing the unique history of IWC. Once exploring IWC’s history is complete, one should definitely visit the IWC boutique to experience their modern line of watches. Comparing how the company has evolved and is an exciting thing to do, and with most likely the most knowledgeable team at the boutique, their is nothing better.

Lastly, visiting the Manufakturzentrum is the last step of the trip. Opened in the middle of 2018, the new building is only located 10 minutes away from the heart of Schaffhausen. This gives you an opportunity to experience the craftsmanship that is watchmaking, but more specifically is IWC watchmaking. You can see how all the components are produced, finished and put together. It will give you a chance to see the beautiful process of an IWC watch coming to life.

Enjoy!