Ahead of the British Grand Prix™ at Silverstone, Swiss luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen has announced the auction of the last Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team.”
Limited to only 100 pieces, this exclusive Big Pilot’s Watch recognizes the extraordinary career and achievements thus far of Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes- AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, while also highlighting his longstanding collaboration and relationship with IWC.
Over the years, Toto Wolff has been seen wearing several IWC watches and prototypes during memorable moments, on and off the racetrack. The watch numbered 50 out of 100 – the last available – will be auctioned by international auction house Bonhams, with the proceeds going to Ignite, a joint charitable initiative operated by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team and Sir Lewis Hamilton to support greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport.
In 2013, the Austrian entrepreneur and former racing driver Toto Wolff became a shareholder and executive director of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team. During his time as the Team Principal & CEO, the team has won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021.
With the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”, Wolff was finally honoured with an IWC watch that carries his name.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team” (Ref. IW503607) features a Ceratanium® case and crown, a glass dial, and black hands.
Ceratanium® is a ground-breaking new material developed by IWC. It is as light and robust as titanium and almost as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic.
The printing and luminescence are in the team’s signature PETRONAS green colour. Limited to only 100 pieces, this watch is fitted with a black rubber strap with textile inlay.
IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar was developed by former head-watchmaker Kurt Klaus during the 1980s. The mechanical program automatically recognises the different lengths of the months and the leap years, requiring no manual adjustment until 2100.
The moon phase display shows the moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres and will only deviate by one day after 577.5 years. The calendar module is driven via a single nightly switching impulse by the IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre.
This automatic movement features IWC’s iconic Pellaton winding system, which has been reinforced with ceramic components and accumulates a power reserve of 7 days in two barrels. The movement can be admired through the tinted sapphire glass back.
The watch carrying the number 50 will be auctioned online by the international auction house Bonhams.
The proceeds will go to Ignite. This charitable initiative launched in 2021 by The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team and Sir Lewis Hamilton will focus its work on supporting greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport.
The watch comes with a 10-minute video call with Toto Wolff and a tour of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team HQ and Operations Centre, offering exclusive, behind-the-scenes insight into what goes into designing, manufacturing and running the world’s most advanced racing cars.
Interested buyers can register and place their bids here: www.bonhams.com/auction/28074.
In addition, IWC Schaffhausen and the Mercedes- AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team are also announcing the establishment of a yearly donation of 50,000 Euros, which will be funded by IWC. Like the auction proceeds, the funds will also go to Ignite.
Technical details
Model: IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff X Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”, Ref. IW503607
Movement
IWC-manufactured calibre 52615
Mechanical automatic movement
Pellaton automatic winding system
Frequency: 28,800 vph / 4 Hz
Jewels: 54
Power reserve: 7 days (168 h)
Functions
Power reserve display
Perpetual Calendar with displays for the date, day, month, year in four digits and perpetual moon phase for the northern and southern hemisphere
Small hacking seconds
Case
Ceratanium® case
Diameter: 46.2 mm
Height: 15.4 mm
Glass: Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure
Screw-in crown
See-through sapphire glass back
Water-resistance: 6 bar
Dial
Glass dial, black hands
Strap
Black rubber strap with textile inlay, Ceratanium® pin buckle
