IWC Schaffhausen has launched two new high-performance iterations of its celebrated Pilot Chronograph dedicated to its Formula 1 partners, in time for the first official Las Vegas Grand Prix.
For more than 150 years, IWC Schaffhausen, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, has represented the epitome of innovation in haute horlogerie, pioneering new materials, the latest in engineering and unmatched aesthetics in the storied world of luxury watchmaking, to break new ground and producing exquisite timepieces of the highest quality.
From the Pilot’s to the Portugeiser, IWC has an enduring legacy of producing beautiful instrument timepieces throughout its celebrated history; reliable, durable with superior design, pieces that belong on the wrists of some of the fastest men on the planet.
This is no truer than the manufacture’s latest offering; the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41, a beautiful timepiece that reflects the brand’s inherent commitment to performance and precision – qualities that have become synonymous with IWC’s expert range.
Since 2004, IWC and Mercedes AMG have enjoyed a fruitful partnership, with the luxury Swiss brand positioned as the Formula 1 team’s Official Engineering Partner, which enables IWC to share in the brands’ shared vision of high-performance engineering and the unrelenting pursuit of perfection.
Last year, IWC introduced the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”, the official team watch worn by the racing team, designers, aerodynamicists, race engineers, strategists and mechanics.
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Now, as the Formula 1 2023 season offers the first official Grand Prix race event held through the streets of Las Vegas’ iconic Boulevard, the famed watchmaker has released two expert iterations of the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41, bringing together its two brand ambassadors for the very first time.
WATCH The IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 reveal below.
Heading to the iconic Las Vegas strip in anticipation of the biggest sporting event of the calendar, Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes-AMG teammate George Russell, IWC Schaffhausen’s two brand ambassadors feature together for the first time for the luxury Swiss watchmaker’s latest campaign, on their way to collect their signature pieces.
As the name would suggest, the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 has been the timepiece built for the skies, but together with Mercedes, IWC’s latest offering is destined for the high-octane chase of the asphalt.
Available in IWC’s bespoke Ceratitanium for the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team, a game-changing new material for the watch industry, the 41 is developed in collaboration with Aerospace to be as hard and durable as titanium – first pioneered by IWC in the 1980s – but scratch-resistant and polished as ceramic… at 45% lighter than traditional steel, these pieces are the perfect accompaniments for Formula 1’s best.
“The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes combines our extensive know-how in developing industry-leading chronographs with our comprehensive expertise in advanced materials,” Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen said.
“Both these new chronographs feature ceramic bezels with tachymeter scales, adding the dimension of speed to the highly accurate stop time measurements and making these robust chronographs the perfect companions for people with a dynamic, fast-paced lifestyle.”
One of the key features of this latest release is the polished ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale, capable of measuring the wearer’s average speed in relation to the distance travelled. Once the wearer has passed one kilometre, the chronograph is stopped and the central chronograph seconds hand indicates the number on the rotating tachymeter scale, relating to average km/h.
The pieces are finished with a diameter of 41.1mm and 14.8mm in thickness – so slightly larger compared to some other models available; but with a black, sheer dial, recessed totalisers, applied indices and numerals filled with Super-LumiNova, these chronographs built for the driver with precious seconds to spare.
The watches are available at IWC and retail from $18,300 AUD, whilst the AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONETM TEAM edition is $33,800 AUD.