Results of the 2nd Collectors Forum Watch (CF3) Survey

Thanks Michael.

100-200 seems to be the right quantity, and I agree that boutique should be the primary channel of distribution. Please keep us posted.

Greetings Michael:

My Thoughts...

Upon final decision of the watch, a determined enrollment period would offer any current forum member (as of the enrollment start date) the opportunity to place an order WITH a deposit. Instructions on how to place orders with IWC Direct, Boutique or AD would be provided.

At the end of the enrollment period, IWC would know how many to produce. Completed orders are then shipped to pre-determined location( Boutique, AD or Purchaser/if paid in full ).

IWC already set the MSRP. If shipped to an AD, IWC should allow a wholesale price to the AD which provides for a slight margin for handling the purchase application and final leg of distribution. I have read in some replies that a "Loyle/Trusting" relationship with a specific AD is very important to those who have built it and fully agree.

This process IMO seems fairly simple and convienant to everyone wherever they reside.

Can't wait to see what's born. Personally, I would like to receive a call from my AD telling me my CF3 has arrived. It's always a special day when a "Inbound" lands safely!!

Thanks for listening.....Andy

Ahmmm....IWC is 144 year old
Maybe 145, as the watch will come out next year is suitable

Living nowhere near a boutique, this option gives me some trepidation.
Which can possibly be the technical difficulties of selling the CF3 through our respectives favorite ADs, who some of us have been cultivating and cajoling for ages?
Working through the ADs worked fine for the CFI and the CFDV.

Fair enough. I voted for 100, and perhaps the number should be higher in view of current Forum activity. It seems like a number of others have indicated they voted for 100 and have similar thoughts. What I do hope is that the watch remains something special, and not a huge edition with many bought by people who have only some passive interest in IWC, or posted here once or twice a few years ago. I hope the watch represents community, friendship, and passion for IWC like we see here every day. To me, that means at least some degree of selection or exclusivity.

I second these thoughts.

I voted for 100 pieces although I wouldn't mind for more pieces given that they would be exclusively for IWC Forum members and no other.
Interesting process I am very excited to see the results.
Thanks for everything Michael.

My nearest boutique is Paris, how much is this watch going to cost after she who must be obeyed decides that she needs to verify that the food is rubbish all the clothes and shoe shops are drab and she is not interested in seeing anything in Paris as it has nothing to offer! Anybody want to give me an idea as to how I can sneak off to Paris alone, never get found out and never get divorced when she does find out. My guess is this watch may cost many times more than the asking price!
By the way Antonio, think your nearest boutique is also Paris......best of luck.

IF IWC proceeds here, and I have no idea whether or how it will, and I'm not sure of distribution.

The first Panerai Collectors Watch, which sold out in days and allocations were decided by the CEO, was sold only through Panerai boutiques. At the time, there were three: Portofino, Florence and Hong Kong. My order was sent to the Portofino one via e-mail, and they shipped via courier. No big deal. I don't understand the concern.

What I do understand is that local dealers, especially ones who have been "cultivated" often discount for "friends". I suspect a good deal, frankly, may be the underlying motivation. Equally candidly, I'm not sure how IWC will feel about that in the context of doing the forum a favor, where their time and efforts are probably less than the cost of this watch, and where they have a primary duty to not only support their own distribution but also there's no reason to deflect the margin on something where the dealer contributes little to a pre-sold item. I know, I know, we all love our dealers and like to give them business, but I think there may be conflicting concerns here.

Thanks for all the information Michael. Many good things have been said already. I think it is up to IWC together with Michael to see if they could work something out with all the information provided. I see a lot of possibilities to get this plan to work.

As for distribution, the local AD would be nice (just a 10 minutes ride on my bike) but Boutiques would be special and if ordering and shipping the watch out is no problem then that would be OK too. Of course Boutiques could do something special and organize a few small collectors meetings around the world for those forum members who would like to meet and pick up the watch in person. But first lets wait and see if the idea of a new collectors forum watch meets enough enthousiasm with Mr. Kern.

Thanks for thinking of me, Kevin! Although it would add some extra cost, I dealt with Hoa @ the Beverly Hills Boutique when I purchased my CFDV. He took very good care of me and it was a smooth transaction. The watch was shipped to me within hours of Hoa receiving it from Schaffhausen. If the decision is made to deal exclusively through the Boutiques, I have a prior relationship in L.A. that makes me feel comfortable submitting my order. Again, thanks for your consideration.

On another topic, I also voted for a limit of 100 for the CFIII. After reading MF's comments, I think 150-200 might be more realistic.

Exciting project that I hope comes to fruition. What are the "technical reasons" for the boutique requirement though? I fear my local AD won't be in business if its earning a bit of margin on the sale of an IWC is perceived as a "conflicting interest" to the manufacturers "primary duty" to earn margin through other direct methods

I'm nowhere near a Boutique either (UK based), but if they can ship via courier I guess that's no problem.

I understand the desire by longer standing/more active members to retain exclusivity by offering a more limited edition. However, people are involved in the forum in different ways, and some spend much more time reading rather than posting. In my view, it would be a shame if many forum members were denied the opportunity to purchase the watch, as I think this will build even more connection with the forum, which in the end can only be a good thing.

How about, once the details/price are announced, a deposit as suggested by other posters, with no limit on production numbers? Surely that's an equitable solution that would satisfy most people?

Jez

If we must purchase the CF3 through a boutique, I'll choose New York's.

Dear sirs,

On february the 24th some of my watches were stolen during a burglary. I would like to inform you on type and case number so you can mark them as stolen in your system.

It concerns the following watches:

Men's watch IWC Collectors' Forum Ingenieur,limited edition 36/100, steel case and bracelet, automatic, casenumber 3122621,personal engraving in caseback; Ties Grasdijk, 36/100

Men's watch IWC Ingenieur AMG, titanium case, synthetic strap, automatic, casenumber 3121157

Men's watch IWC Portugieser 8 days, steel case, blue leather strap with folding clasp, automatic, casenumber 3096159

Maybe I can retrieve the watches via this medium.

Thanks in advance!

With kind regards,
Ties Grasdijk

Hi Michael,
A rebate is not my "underlying motivation", it is my overlying motivation. Not that there anything wrong with that, to quote Seinfeld.
IWC has its profit, the AD has his profit, and I, the client who is faithful to the brand, am also happy. That, in my book, is the definition of a good transaction.
There is the other theory that a good transaction has happened when everybody is unhappy, but I do not subscribe to that.

My AD is a family business and run by an elderly very knowledgeable gentleman, who knows me since my late-teens. He always had time for me, even though It was obvious I did not have any money to buy the IWCs he had for sale in his "relojoaria" (watch shop in Portuguese). He did not think short-term though, and invested time in a penniless teenager in the expectation the teenager would become a successful adult, and patronize his business. He was right.

Having said all this, I will also say that, being a corporation responding to the interest of its shareholders, IWC is free to implement whatever sales strategy it sees fit.
The fact is that I'll buy the CF3 (assuming it is a pilot's watch in the tradition of the Mark 11) whichever way it will be sold, and just about at any price. If through a boutique, then so be it. IWC will be happy, I will be happy, and my AD will be none the wiser.

The great discussions about CF3 started two months ago after SIHH, where at the gathering a question about it was answered by Mr. Kern with something like "Why not?". This lead to far more than one hundred posts of enthousiastic forum members, and some steering initiatives by Michael, to make sure some common ground result could be achieved. I think we all did about what is possible and could be expected from a forum like ours.

I wonder, isn't it about time that IWC could give us a signal, based on all what has happened here about CF3? "Why not" gave some glimpse of hope, statements by Michael about all kinds of underlying reasonings by IWC don't really give any direction: is IWC enthousiastic enough to go forward on a CF3? What can we expect, in some time line? What I really don't like to see is that we put all kinds of an effort here, while interesting enough, that in the end may lead to nothing: that would really be a pity.

Kind regards,
Paul

Paul,

I am certain that Oliver and others at IWC monitor this Forum. In my opinion, there is no way that they would have allowed this discussion to continue at this pace and with numerous surveys by MF if the prospect of a CF3 was not being seriously considered.
Of course, the decision is IWC's to make but I think at this point there is only optimism as to the type of watch we are going to get.

Hi Ties,
Sorry to hear about your loss and hope that property is all that you lost.
This may be the first CFI stolen/lost. Its uniqueness, however, increases the possibility/probability it will be be returned to you, hopefully unharmed.
I'll keep an eye on the secondary market.
Good luck.