Swiss luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen presents the new performance chronograph collection dedicated to its motorsport partners Mercedes-AMG and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team.
In 2004, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer based in Schaffhausen became a partner of Mercedes-AMG, the performance car subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz. As a logical continuation, IWC became the “Official Engineering Partner” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team in 2013.
The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer is now launching two performance chronographs dedicated to its motorsport partners.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG
The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG (Ref. IW388305/04) features a case, crown and pushers crafted from robust and lightweight titanium.
IWC pioneered this hard-to-machine metal in the watch industry in 1980 when it released the first wristwatch with a titanium case and bracelet. IWC had acquired the specific know-how for machining titanium in close collaboration with French aerospace company Aérospatiale.
Offering the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metal, titanium is frequently used in automotive engineering to manufacture components for high-performance engines.
The grade 5 titanium alloy used for the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 case is around 45% lighter than steel and remarkably rigid. The case features a brushed finish with polished details on the horns.
One version is fitted with a robust, waterproof black rubber strap (Ref. IW388305), while the other version (Ref. IW388304) features a titanium bracelet with H-links and an integrated folding clasp.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team
In 2022, IWC introduced the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”. The official team watch is worn by the team, including designers, aerodynamicists, race engineers, strategists and mechanics. Now, IWC is also launching a performance chronograph dedicated to its partner.
The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team (Ref. IW388306/07) features a case made of Ceratanium®.
Developed by IWC, this material combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with a hardness and scratch-resistance similar to ceramic.
One version is fitted with a black rubber strap with a Ceratanium® pin buckle (Ref. IW388306). The other version features a Ceratanium® bracelet with an integrated folding clasp (Ref. IW388307).
An outstanding functional feature of the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 is the ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale, which allows the wearer to measure the average speed in relation to the distance travelled.
Pushing the chronograph’s start button initiates a measurement. Once a distance of one kilometre has been covered, the chronograph is stopped. The central chronograph seconds hand will point to a number on the rotating tachymeter scale, corresponding to the average speed in kilometres per hour.
Matching the polished black ceramic bezels, all models feature black dials with a glossy finish and black hands. The recessed totalisers and the applied indices and numerals, in blackened nickel, filled with Super- LumiNova®, provide additional depth and ensure excellent night-time readability.
The manufacturing of this intricate dial represents a feat of craftsmanship and finishing. The polished black lacquer finish is the result of an elaborate, highly controlled and perfected production process.
The three totalisers are individually finished and printed before they are mounted on the lacquered base plate to create the final dial. The approximately 20 appliques are individually polished by hand, fixed to the dial and then filled with luminous material.
IWC Calibre 69385: The High-Performance Chronograph Engine
All versions of the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 are powered by the IWC-manufactured 69385 calibre movement. Comprising 242 parts, this mechanical chronograph movement has been engineered with an uncompromising focus on robustness, reliability, and precision. Its bi-directional pawl winding system builds up a power reserve of 46 hours in the mainspring.
Column-wheel control of the chronograph ensures that individual phases in the switching sequence are clearly defined. There is also a distinct tactile resistance when the buttons are pushed. The chronograph features IWC’s characteristic vertical subdial arrangement. The stopped minutes are displayed directly at the 12 o’clock position, enhancing readability. The assembly of these movements at IWC’s Manufakturzentrum is organized in a dedicated line.
After assembly and regulation, all movement functions are tested automatically over 12 days in the FIM (Final Inspection Movement) cell developed by IWC.
In addition, all four timepieces are eligible for registration under the My IWC care program and can benefit from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.
About Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG is the performance and sports car brand of Mercedes-Benz Cars based in Affalterbach, Germany.
Driven by the fascination of motorsports Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher founded the company in 1967. Since 2005 Mercedes-AMG GmbH has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG representing the sporting spearhead of the company with a wide range of models ranging from performance compact cars up to true sports cars like the AMG GT family.
In contrast to large-scale production, Mercedes- AMG’s engines are assembled in Affalterbach according to the “One Man, One Engine” principle. AMG was born on the racetrack and is up to this day committed to “Driving Performance” in every detail, which is also expressed in every vehicle’s perceptible, innovative excellence.
About Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is the works team of Mercedes-AMG, competing at the FIA Formula One™ World Championship.
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, based across Technology Centres at Brackley and Brixworth in the United Kingdom, brings together over 1,000 dedicated and determined people that design, develop, manufacture and race the cars driven by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and Grand Prix winner, George Russell.
Winning seven consecutive double Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships from 2014 to 2020 and securing a record-breaking eighth consecutive Constructors’ Championship success in 2021, the Team is one of the most successful in the sport’s history.
Between returning as a Constructor in 2010 and the end of the 2022 season, the Mercedes-AMG works team has scored 116 wins, 264 podium finishes, 128 pole positions, 91 fastest laps and 54 one-two finishes from 259 race starts.
Technical details
Movement
IWC-manufactured calibre 69385
Mechanical movement
Frequency: 28,800 vph / 4 Hz
Jewels: 33
Power reserve: 46 h
Winding: Automatic
Functions
Chronograph function for hours, minutes and seconds
Date and day display
Small hacking seconds
Model: IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG, References IW388305 and IW388304
Case, dial and strap
Ref. IW388305: Titanium case, black dial, black hands, blackened nickel appliques, black rubber strap
Ref. IW388304: Titanium case, black dial, black hands, blackened nickel appliques, titanium bracelet
Diameter: 41.1 mm
Height: 14.8 mm
Glass: Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Screw-in crown
Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure
See-through sapphire glass back
Water-resistance: 10 bar
Model: IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team, References IW388306 and IW388307
Case, dial and strap
Ref. IW388306: Ceratanium® case, black dial, black hands, blackened nickel appliques, black rubber strap
Ref. IW388307: Ceratanium® case, black dial, black hands, blackened nickel appliques, Ceratanium® bracelet
Glass Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Screw-in crown
Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure
See-through sapphire glass back
Diameter: 41.1 mm
Height: 14.8 mm
Water-resistance: 10 bar
