Denver/Schaffhausen, November 2021 – IWC Schaffhausen announces a new partnership with Boom Supersonic, the company building the world’s fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner. The collaboration is founded on both companies’ special relationship with time, their commitment to engineering excellence, and their dedication to incorporating sustainability across the entire supply chain. Within the scope of the partnership, IWC and Boom plan to share best practices to advance sustainable practices in their respective industries.
Founded in 2014 in Denver, Boom Supersonic aims to redefine commercial air travel by bringing sustainable, supersonic flights to the sky. The company’s supersonic airliner, Overture, will be net-zero carbon and capable of flying on 100% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) at twice the speed of today’s fastest passenger jets. Boom is aiming to roll out Overture in 2025, fly in 2026 and carry passengers by 2029.
IWC Schaffhausen was founded in 1868 by the American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones. Combining traditional Swiss craftsmanship with modern industrial technology from his homeland, he established the first centralized watch production in Switzerland. Today, IWC specializes in ingenious and easy-to-use complications like chronographs and calendars. The company has also acquired unique expertise in the field of advanced materials.
“Since engineering our first pilot’s watch in the 1930s, a passion for aviation has run like a common thread through the history of our brand. We have always worked with pioneers and supported them on their mission to conquer the skies. Driven by our shared commitment to engineering excellence and sustainability, we are proud to be joining forces with Boom Supersonic,” – Franziska Gsell, CMO of IWC Schaffhausen
“Boom is thrilled to be partnering with IWC on sustainability priorities. As a pioneer in sustainable design and manufacturing, IWC has a great deal of insight to offer others across industries. With our shared passion for the value of time, we look forward to our ongoing collaboration with IWC in helping to build the future of sustainable business,” says Kathy Savitt, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Boom Supersonic.
The partnership between Boom and IWC builds on three key pillars which are intrinsic to both companies. A special relationship with time, a commitment to engineering excellence and a dedication to incorporating sustainability across the entire supply chain.
Measuring time or changing its perception
For more than 150 years, IWC has been manufacturing precision instruments for measuring time. Completely even oscillations of the movement’s balance wheel divide every day into 86,400 seconds – providing the basic information needed for timekeeping, measuring stop times with chronographs, or even IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar that functions with virtually no adjustments required until 2499. On the other hand, Boom Supersonics’ mission is to make the world dramatically more accessible by ushering in a new age of supersonic air travel. When it’ll soon be possible to travel from London to New York in 3 hours 30 minutes instead of 6 hours 30 minutes, the perception of time as such and how fast it passes will fundamentally change. As travel times between major destinations are reduced by about half, we will be able to experience more people, places, and cultures.
At the forefront of engineering and innovation
Whether it is about manufacturing the world’s fastest and most sustainable airliner or a complex mechanism like the movement of a mechanical watch: both Boom and IWC need to be at the pinnacle of engineering and constantly push the boundaries of physics. Boom, for example, uses sophisticated computer simulations and wind-tunnel testing to ensure the design of Overture is maximized for performance and fuel efficiency. What’s more, the manufacturing of thermal-stable carbon composite airframe components is a task that requires expert knowledge in material science. IWC pioneered the use of titanium and ceramic in the watch industry during the 1980s and has since acquired a unique expertise in the field. Today, the company’s new engineering division, IWC Experimental, plays a crucial role in driving cutting-edge innovations in areas like g-force protection or the development of highly advanced technical materials such as Ceratanium®.
Sustainability across the whole product lifecycle
Finally, both companies have made it a priority to integrate sustainability across the entire value chain. Boom Supersonic is expected to be the first commercial aircraft manufacturer to be net-zero carbon. For example, Overture will have a fuel-efficient design and be capable of using 100% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Boom also wants to ensure Overture can be recycled at the end of its useful life. Mechanical watches from IWC are engineered to last for generations and are intrinsically sustainable as such. However, they must be responsibly made. IWC leads the luxury watch industry with its comprehensive and transparent approach to sustainability, committing to biennial reporting and defining measurable targets. From the responsible sourcing of materials or reducing the volume and weight of primary packaging to developing new and sustainable materials such as paper-based watch straps, IWC continuously improves every element of how it designs, manufactures, distributes, and services its products.
The partnership between Boom Supersonic and IWC Schaffhausen will see various joint projects in the future. For example, Boom and IWC will work together with a special focus on sustainability priorities. Both Boom and IWC are committed to sustainable manufacturing practices throughout the supply chains of their respective industries.
Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic is redefining commercial air travel by bringing sustainable, supersonic flight to the skies. Boom’s historic commercial airliner, Overture, is designed and committed to industry-leading standards of speed, safety, and sustainability. Overture will be net-zero carbon, capable of flying on 100% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) at twice the speed of today’s fastest passenger jets. Overture’s order book, including purchases and options, stands at 70 aircraft, and Boom is working with the United States Air Force for government applications of Overture. XB-1, a demonstrator aircraft, rolled out in 2020, and its net-zero carbon flight test program is underway. The company is backed by world-class investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Prime Movers Lab, Emerson Collective and American Express Ventures. For more information, visit https://boomsupersonic.com.