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Leading Swiss watch company seeks new materials for movements, casings and straps

Deadline: January 25, 2020

International Watch Company (IWC Schaffhausen) is a renowned Swiss watch company building premium mechanical wrist watches.

IWC is looking to MIT for new materials for watch casings, movements and leather straps. IWC’s focus is on further improving the mechanical watch. IWC is known for using new materials in watch making.

IWC's R&D group will be at MIT February 10-13, 2020. They are new to working with startups.

R&I for Case

  • Titanium alloys/materials with improved or special properties (such as Ceratanium® or titanium aluminide)
  • Colored ceramics, new colors
  • Improved ceramics (higher fracture toughness)
  • Screws problem (loose screws)
  • Water resistance in general
  • Find better materials for gaskets and sealings (water resistance)
  • Optimize corrosion resistance of small components (e.g. Sicherungsscheibe)
  • Replacement of traditional polyurethanes (PU) for straps:
  • - Alternative polymerisation processes (eg. cyclic carbonate synthesis)
  • - Bio-based replacement of PU
  • Alternative materials for leather straps


R&I for Movement

  • New material for hairspring (metallic or non-metallic)
  • Production process of silicon hairspring
  • Improved material for mainspring
  • Non-magnetic high-performance materials (to replace high performance hardened steels)
  • Improve lubrication
  • Towards lubrication-free movements
  • Screws problem (loose screws)
  • Additive manufacturing of high-precision (micro)components
     

Application Requirements

In your response, please

  • Explain concisely your product & technology
  • Your match with the company above and their interest
  • Any relevant usecases / customer stories (can indicate industry/size if not ready to go public)
  • Stage of startup / maturity of technology
  • Your availability for the meeting - see dates above
Deadline: January 25, 2020
Posted on: January 16, 2020
Location: MIT
Industry: Material

International Watch Company (IWC Schaffhausen) is a renowned Swiss watch company building premium mechanical wrist watches.

IWC is looking to MIT for new materials for watch casings, movements and leather straps. IWC’s focus is on further improving the mechanical watch. IWC is known for using new materials in watch making.

IWC's R&D group will be at MIT February 10-13, 2020. They are new to working with startups.

R&I for Case

  • Titanium alloys/materials with improved or special properties (such as Ceratanium® or titanium aluminide)
  • Colored ceramics, new colors
  • Improved ceramics (higher fracture toughness)
  • Screws problem (loose screws)
  • Water resistance in general
  • Find better materials for gaskets and sealings (water resistance)
  • Optimize corrosion resistance of small components (e.g. Sicherungsscheibe)
  • Replacement of traditional polyurethanes (PU) for straps:
  • - Alternative polymerisation processes (eg. cyclic carbonate synthesis)
  • - Bio-based replacement of PU
  • Alternative materials for leather straps


R&I for Movement

  • New material for hairspring (metallic or non-metallic)
  • Production process of silicon hairspring
  • Improved material for mainspring
  • Non-magnetic high-performance materials (to replace high performance hardened steels)
  • Improve lubrication
  • Towards lubrication-free movements
  • Screws problem (loose screws)
  • Additive manufacturing of high-precision (micro)components
     

Application Requirements

In your response, please

  • Explain concisely your product & technology
  • Your match with the company above and their interest
  • Any relevant usecases / customer stories (can indicate industry/size if not ready to go public)
  • Stage of startup / maturity of technology
  • Your availability for the meeting - see dates above

Disclaimer:  MIT Startup Exchange can make introductions that ideally provide open ended discussions in order to share mutual interests and potentially create common ground that incite the parties to collaborate. MIT Startup Exchange introductions may eventually lead to mutual partnerships, but that is not in any way guaranteed by MIT, MIT Corporate Relations, MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) or MIT Startup Exchange, which takes no responsibility for these outcomes and no formal part in such discussions following our introduction. MIT Startup Exchange and its activities and events are not for purposes of soliciting investment or offering securities.