• 11 Jun 2021, 9:57 a.m.

    20 years ago, this forum had it's start. IWC was the first watch company that
    started an official internet forum , linked with the website, but with an
    independent moderator.

    It was at a time that Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Clubhouse, etc. weren't
    around,
    so it was the single point of information for a lot of collectors worldwide.

    But it was also a place where people met, shared the same passion, and learned
    from eachother about the new collections,...

    It was also a place where the knowlegde about historical watches from IWC was
    very much present.

    With the collector meetings, we saw friendships become stronger, not only
    virtual and it kept the fire burning, the passion for IWC.

    20 years later, We are still around, some of us from the first day, some
    newbies but all always welcome to share their thoughts about IWC in a civil
    matter.

    We also have memories of friends no longer amongst us, dear friends,but
    it was an honor to have known them and could say they were true friends.

    Maybe we can post some pictures here of the wonderful moments together.

    20 years, so many great memories, but also great forum watches. Today I will
    send an email to Schaffhausen with my proposal for a CF5, let's see if they
    follow my crazy ideas, more to come...

    Here is also the link to the first post, 20 years ago.

    first post, welcome

  • 11 Jun 2021, 10:17 a.m.

    Some random memories...

  • 11 Jun 2021, 10:31 a.m.

  • Connoisseur
    11 Jun 2021, 10:56 a.m.

    happy 20th
    anniversary and many more to come!

  • Apprentice
    11 Jun 2021, 12:52 p.m.

    Dear Tonny, very nice story!
    Congratulation to 20 Years Anniversary!
    And thank you dear Tonny for all your efforts!

  • Master
    11 Jun 2021, 1:01 p.m.

    Happy 20th Anniversary IWC Forum! I've met some of the finest folks across
    the globe on this great forum! Thanks Tonny for all you do to keep it
    happening!

  • Master
    11 Jun 2021, 1:18 p.m.

    And what a ride it has been! I can truly say that the best friends I've ever
    had often came from this Forum (and of course the best watches).

    A big Thank You to IWC for letting us have this Forum to learn and mingle with
    like minded people.

    Look forward to hear about a new Collectors Forum watch, Tonny.

    Nelson

  • Connoisseur
    11 Jun 2021, 2:32 p.m.

    Congratulations to us all and thanks to Tonny for all the work. Here are a few
    pictures of happy moments amongst friends.

    Thanks!

    Jens-
    Kristian

  • edit

    Thread title has been changed from 20 years ago....

  • edit

    Thread title has been changed from 20 years ago...happy anniversary.

  • Connoisseur
    11 Jun 2021, 10:46 p.m.

    Thanks Tonny for the reminder. It has been a fantastic experience. I joined
    after about a year, I was looking for info about my vintage IWC and found the
    forum by chance. Since then I have wanted to get a Portugeiser but something
    has always cropped up to eat up the accrued funds.

    Like last November, I was almost on my way to the local AD when I stumbled on
    the boat of my dreams, a 20 m long motorboat. Now I need an IWC marine
    chronometer but they are more than rare. Does anyone know of one for sale?

    Anyroad, reading the posts from all the experts on the forum has greatly
    expanded my knowledge about watches in general and IWC in particular. Please
    keep them coming!

    I have occasionally contributed, but only when I beleive that I have something
    meaningful to say (which is not very often).

    Thanks to all contributors, I love the discussions here. One day I hope to
    meet some of you IRL

    Best regards

    Henrik

  • Master
    11 Jun 2021, 11:26 p.m.

    Happy Anniversary to a very special Forum. Special thanks to Michael
    Friedberg for starting it and Tonny for continuing to keep it excellent! And
    thanks to all the IWC people who have made it a very special place to enjoy
    the community and the watches. I have a few pictures to share from over the
    years.

    I think it was the first IWC collectors' meeting that we also got to mangle
    some movements of course, I can't remember which movement. Was it a 9280?

  • Master
    12 Jun 2021, 2:40 p.m.

    Happy 20th Anniversary and to all who make this place so special. Many thanks
    too to IWC for continuing to sponsor this Forum and for thier appreciation of
    the Collectors who assemble here. My first collectors meeting was in 2007.

    Bishhp Tonny, in 2007

    Drinking for the CIty Hall Cup in Stein am Rhein

    Tonny as William Tell

  • Master
    13 Jun 2021, 12:02 p.m.

    A very early snippet from testing and most probably MF's first post 1 June
    2001, titled

    "Nice to be here"

    Cheers from the cellar

  • Master
    13 Jun 2021, 8:46 p.m.

    I made a lot of new friends at this meeting in 2007.

    Happy 20th birthday, Forum.

    And 10 years later...

  • Master
    14 Jun 2021, 2:54 a.m.

    What a
    wonderful family this IWC Forum is.
    I have made great friends here and I always can meet a fellow IWC enthusiast
    when travelling anywhere in the world.

    I am a relative latecomer to the Forum - joining in 2013.
    Here is a pic from my first forum related event in New York City in 2014.

  • Apprentice
    14 Jun 2021, 4:36 a.m.

    This IWC Forum is a fantastic family.
    I 've met some wonderful friends here, and I can usually find a fellow IWC
    aficionado when I go throughout the world.

  • Connoisseur
    15 Jun 2021, 12:48 p.m.

    This forum is such a great place to learn about IWC watches and share the
    passion with like minded people around the world.

    More than this, however, it is the catalyst for many friendships and treasured
    memories.

    I count myself lucky to have been able to meet collectors when we could travel
    - all thanks to the forum.

  • Graduate
    15 Jun 2021, 5:07 p.m.

    Happy 20th birthday to the Forum!

    I've only been here for a short portion of the 20 years, but what an amazing
    community. A forum for insight. And a community of friends.

    Also, a great community that keeps you young and life full of excitement.

    Jumping for
Joy

  • 18 Jun 2021, 7:27 a.m.

    a collectors meeting...

    The CFI

  • Master
    19 Jun 2021, 6:45 a.m.

    Happy anniversary all, fun times for sure! Was very happy to join a few of
    these events and they were always fantastic.

  • Apprentice
    19 Jun 2021, 1:52 p.m.

    20 years already? Unbelievable how time flies. Great brand and great community
    united in a great forum!

    To many more years!

    Cheers,

    Sascha

  • Master
    20 Jun 2021, 8:36 a.m.

    Everybody who
    has participated in a collectors meeting feels extremely happy. For the first
    time you are surrounded with watch 'nuts' who share that hidden part of your
    brain, where the virus is located. The wifes and girlfriends do not understand
    you. They have not been affected but tolerate (fortunately) the funny
    behaviour of their partners and are amazed to find themselves surrounded by
    other men who have the same disease as their own partner. That provides some
    relief, their partners visit to the psychiatrist seems not necessary. Although
    incurable, the men have the time of their life, forget about meetings, wake up
    calls, bus location : in short they are helpless. Then there is an IWC lady.
    Now it is Clizia who is the producer, director and manager. During the first
    years of the collector meetings, now 20 years ago it was Veronika Michel,
    depicted here. She knew everything, adviced all, saved us from drowning in the
    waterfall, removed wine stains from a white shirt and pushed us to the busses.
    Just to say how important the hostess is to make a collectors meeting to what
    it is : a walk through paradise.

    Regards,

    Adrian,

    (alwaysiwc)