THE IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN CHRONOGRAPH WORN BY LEWIS HAMILTON ON THE SILVERSTONE PODIUM TO BE AUCTIONED TO BENEFIT LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD
Schaffhausen, 9th October 2024: IWC Schaffhausen, Laureus Sport for Good and Bonhams collaborate for a unique online auction. Up for bidding is the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team – the very watch the seven-time Formula One™ world champion wore on the podium when celebrating his ninth British Grand Prix™ win. Auctioned with this special chronograph are also the original and signed racing gloves Hamilton wore during the race. Bidding started online on Monday, 7th October at Bonhams and will end on Saturday 19th October, during the annual Laureus Charity Night fundraising event in Zurich, Switzerland. All proceeds from the auction will go to Laureus Sport for Good and its sport programs for young people.
Laureus Sport for Good uses sport as a powerful tool to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives. With numerous social sport programs all over the world, the foundation has a positive impact on the lives of tens of thousands of youths. IWC Schaffhausen has been a global partner of Laureus Sport for Good since 2005. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer also supports the Laureus Foundation Switzerland by participating in their annual Laureus Charity Night. Every year, IWC donates a unique timepiece for auction at the fundraising event. This year, for the first time, the auction will be run online in collaboration with Bonhams. All proceeds will go to the Laureus Foundation and its social sport programmes.
Each year, we look forward to participating in the Laureus Charity Night, which is one of the foundation’s most important fundraisers. This time around it will be particularly special, as we are auctioning the watch Lewis Hamilton wore during one of the most emotional and memorable moments of the season. By making the auction accessible globally online, we are ensuring that even more interested bidders will have the chance to participate
Up for auction is the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula OneTM Team (Ref. IW388306). This is the exact watch Lewis Hamilton wore on the podium when celebrating his ninth win at his home race earlier this year. Hamilton’s triumph at the British Grand PrixTM in Silverstone was even more significant as it marked his first win in two seasons. When the seven-time Formula OneTM World Champion held up the trophy on the podium, he was overwhelmed with emotion. He later expressed his gratitude through social media, saying: “It has been 945 days since the last win, and it has finally come home. Silverstone, I love you. There’s no crowd that deserves this more. This is love, this is family. Thank you all for the love and support.”
The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula OneTM Team features a case and case back ring made of Ceratanium®. Developed by IWC Schaffhausen, this high-performance material combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with a hardness and scratch resistance similar to that of ceramic. The black ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale lets the wearer determine the average speed over a reference distance of 1000 metres. With its elaborate lacquer finish, the black dial radiates tremendous visual depth. The hands, indices and numerals are filled with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring excellent readability at night. The watch is powered by the IWC-manufactured 69385 calibre, which is visible through the tinted sapphire glass case back. The mechanical chronograph movement has been engineered with a focus on robustness, precision and reliability.
In addition to the watch, the auction lot also contains the original racing gloves that Lewis Hamilton wore in the cockpit of his Mercedes-AMG F1 W15 E PERFORMANCE during this year’s memorable race at Silverstone. Signed by the champion himself, the gloves were donated by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula OneTM Team.
The auction started on 7th October, 2024, and will end on 19th October, 2024, at 10:45 pm CET. The final bidding will take place live during the Laureus Charity Night. The online auction can be accessed via the following link: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/31115/laureus-x-iwc-schaffhausen-charity-auction/
LAUREUS FOUNDATION SWITZERLAND
The aim of the Laureus Foundation Switzerland is to enable children and young people to live a positive life full of self-determination through sports. Beyond sports and its associated values, Laureus also systematically promotes the integration and personal development of the young, as well as their physical and mental well-being. The main focus is not on achievement but rather on enjoying sports and shared experiences. The foundation helps young people who need support – regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, social class or health issues.
Laureus supports over 23,000 children in Switzerland through seven charitable sports projects each year. The dedication of around 30 Swiss ambassadors, including cycling legend Fabian Cancellara, track athlete Mujinga Kambundji, skier Marco Odermatt and “Schwingen” wrestler Christian Stucki, is a wonderful source of inspiration for all the children and young people involved. The Laureus Foundation Switzerland was established in 2006 by IWC Schaffhausen in collaboration with Mercedes Benz as part of the international Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
IWC Schaffhausen is the Engineer of Watchmaking. In 1868, the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones established the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. By combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge industrial technology and processes, he laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach to watchmaking.
IWC’s distinctive and pure design is brought to life through collections ranging from elegant dress watches to sports and luxury sports watches, notably the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur. Over its more than 150-year history, IWC has earned a reputation for creating professional instrument watches and functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust and easy to use.
A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramic, IWC specializes in performance materials such as Ceratanium®. IWC’s advanced engineering division XPL develops technologies that enhance the durability of mechanical watches and extend their applications to environments with extreme conditions such as jet aviation and human spaceflight.
IWC is a leader in luxury watchmaking, crafting timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improving every aspect of how it manufactures, distributes and services its watches responsibly. Empowering the next generation of engineers, the brand also partners with organizations that work globally to support children and young people. IWC. EngineeredTM.