Timepieces and motorsports have traditionally made perfect bedfellows. Even a cursory inspection of the racecar drivers’ jumpsuits will usually yield a watch logo among the surfeit of brands. Speed and accuracy, after all, are endearing shared tenets of both watches and the best drivers.
And among these brand team-ups, surely IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes-AMG have earned their place at the top of the totem pole – largely as a function of being perennial winners in Formula 1. The partnership started in 2004 with the first iteration of the Ingenieur Collection AMG and from then, a procession of memorable releases and collaborations ensued: various AMG Special Edition models, cockpit clocks, other special edition watches, and racing projects and experiences as well.
And now, the firms have re-forged their long-running partnership with the release of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “AMG.” The watch is the first of its kind for IWC (with 85 years of history in this kind of timepieces) to be enrobed in Grade 5 titanium finish, which gives a matte-gray appearance. “It’s a material directly derived from automotive engineering – a material that’s extremely hard, lightweight and very scratch-resistant indeed,” said IWC Schaffhausen CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr during the recent global launch streamed online.
Within the 43mm timepiece beats IWC’s in-house 69385 calibre with a frequency of 28,800 vph/4 Hz. It has a power reserve two hours short of two days, and gets automatic winding.
Meanwhile, it gets a woven carbon fiber dial material “directly derived from AMG‘s aero components,” black hands, and black leather strap. Its sapphire crystal with an arched edge receives anti-reflective coating on both sides. The chrono function is expressed in sub-dials counting off the hours, minutes, and seconds. The racing-inspired black dial contrasts with the Silver Arrow-inspired sub counter reminiscent of motorsport instrumentation.
On the other side is a tinted crystal case back emblazoned with a large Mercedes-AMG logo. The watch fitted with a black embossed calf leather strap with contrast stitching and folding clasp.
Grainger-Herr asserted that IWC’s affinity with everything automotive “runs really deep, and goes all the way back to history,” and finding the link to the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG in Germany was not really a stretch.
“(It) also has something to do with (our) unique location here in the east of Switzerland,” explained the executive. “We are removed from the western valley of Switzerland, much closer to the German automotive industry just up the road. Now, we’ve been a longstanding partner with Mercedes-AMG and there’s only a short one-hour motorway run that is connecting us to Affalterbach, the home of AMG.”
For his part, AMG CEO Philipp Schiemer declared, “IWC is our longest standing partner over 17 years. I think this is not usual in the industry, and I think the reason why is because we share the same values.”
Both companies admit to being technology-driven, while creating “very emotional products.” Schiemer continued, “With IWC you are not just looking at the time, you want to have a smile in your face. It’s same with driving an AMG. When you enter the car, you don’t think about where to go. You just enjoy the ride.”
While rocking the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “AMG” on your wrist, we must add.
