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And I thought I was joking about a Chinese forum!

Dear S4 (Audi is it?? Wish I had one) and Kieler Jung,

Welcome to the English forum!! I am almost as new as you here, I just got adopted by this community a few weeks ago, when I jumped in with both feet after having aquired a gorgeous PPC.

It must be frustrating to loose the forum you have been using to learn about, share and enjoy your passion for watches in general and IWC in particular. With the little German I know I get your sentiment loud and clear. I do hope however, that you choose to share your knowledge and passion with us fellow aficionados - in a language we understand :-) That way we can all benefit and enjoy our passion together.

I know that being true fans of IWC we should all really learn German, but I'm not sure we can all get there, sorry.

I sure hope you will join us here in English.

Thanks and regards from rainy Norway!

But CEM's quote from the German website seems to point to the conclusion that there WILL be a Chinese forum! Any clarification from Michael?

If there is such a forum, perhaps SC or Shing can be the moderator? LOL

AL

[b]Well, it is one thing to terminate the German site of the forum, but it is another thing, not even to be allowed to say THANK YOU to the moderator and all those who helped me, to improve my knowlege of IWC watches.

This is NOT a fair termination of the German site.

Just my two cents.

Regards

HEBE[/b]

Auch ich möchte mich - ein letztes mal auf Deutsch - bei Alexander bedanken!

Es waren schöne Jahre im deutschen Forum - ich habe viel über Uhren gelernt - und durfte auch einmal auf Einladung einem Treffen in Schaffhausen beiwohnen - ein wirklich erinnerungswürdiges Ereignis!

Die Entscheidung der Schließung des deutschsprachigen Forums kann ich absolut nicht nachvollziehen - besonders nicht derart "überfallsartig" - und ohne die Möglichkeit "Auf Wiedersehen" zu sagen.
(Danke an MF an dieser Stelle, dass wir das Englische Forum für dieses "Good Bye" nützen dürfen.)

Konsequenter Weise müsste man dann eigentlich auch die Webseite in Deutsch schließen - und vielleicht in Schaffhausen auch nur mehr Englisch kommunizieren.
Die "Verleugnung" der eigenen Muttersprache war und ist meiner Meinung nach keine gute "Strategie".

Wie auch immer:
Ein herzliches "Auf Wiedersehen" an alle Kollegen aus dem deutsche Forum - es war mir ein Vergnügen!

Servus,
Thomas

Auch von meiner Seite ein herzliches Dankeschön an AL, den Moderator des deutschsprachigen Forums für seine Unterstützungsleistungen. Lieber A. - auch mir hast Du bei der Reparatur meiner Ingenieur geholfen: dafür nochmals ein persönliches DANKESCHÖN.
Freundliche Grüße
Christoph

...translated:
I also want to say many thanks to AL, the moderator of the German speaking forum for his support. Dear A., you also helped me with a service of my Ingenieur: therefor I personally want to say THANK YOU again.
Regards
Christoph

Interesting news IWC/Schaffhausen...Now if you can get American collectors to speak SI consistently.

Cheers from Isobars.

Inhaltlich bzw. fachlich hat der deutschsprachige Teil des Forums in den letzten Jahren stark nachgelassen. Insofern ist die Schließung zu verkraften.
Das Signal, welches die IWC damit setzt, ist ebenfalls nicht überraschend. Die deutschsprachigen Märkte sind für das Unternehmen zunehmend in den Hintergrund gerückt. Es liegt im Ermessen jedes Uhrenliebhabers, welche Konsequenzen er daraus zieht.

Dear Forum friends- of all languages and nations,

I also would like to welcome you to this forum. We are the lucky ones to have more great participants from the German side, and I hope you will feel welcome here. Michael runs a tight ship, but he is very knowledgable- and we try to help when we can.
So, please join us, and enrich us.

Nelson

All I have to say is, that I am very disappointed about the decision of IWC.

A very hearty welcome to everyone who is joining us from the German Forum. I had the pleasure to meet many of you at a Collectors Meeting in Schaffhausen a few years ago and look forward to reading your contributions here.

I welcome the members of the IWC German Forum and German collectors generally to this Forum and look forward to their contribution.

The IWC German Forum has provided a great deal of information over many years and I hope that depth of knowledge is brought to this Forum. I also hope that IWC intends to preserve the German Forum in the archives so that the knowledge and contributions are retained for all collectors to access.

Welcome.

Cheers from the cellar

Is this already developing into a German clique who either cannot or will not use English? Or do we have a contingent who are saying their goodbyes to the forum?
My German is zero and I would have no option as to what path I could take. You cannot copy paste everything for a translation and it's not a forum option as things stand today.
I do not feel this is right just as not every watch is my choice to buy or want. But that's my opinion and I am not an employee director or moderator.
There must be a whole bunch of English speaking forum members who are breathing a big sigh of relief that the axe did not fall the other way, myself included.

I echo the sentiments of others in welcoming members of the German Forum. We will benefit from the rich diversity you will bring but I share your sadness that your Forum has been discontinued.

Change is the only constant: I believe that, and in most cases the application of this axiom is hard because change is inconvenient, removes us from our comfort zone, renders the future uncertain: as is the case here. I extend my sympathies with sadness to the german forum members. I would be very sad if this happened to the english forum.

I also believe in the general goodness in people to make things work and the natural instinct towards progress that is the hallmark of human civilization. Rough fits are often accommodated and edges dulled with time. So I choose to focus on the way forward, the good that can come from this change, and welcome the new members ! Greetings and warm welcome !