IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN FOUNDS MOTOR RACING TEAM
Schaffhausen, 18 March 2018 – IWC Racing Team is the name of IWC Schaffhausen’s own motorsport team. In future, it will take its place on the grid at historic racing events with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing”. Taking turns at the wheel of the iconic sports car unveiled in 1955 – the year that also saw the launch of the Ingenieur from IWC – will be David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Marco Engel, Jochen Mass, and Carmen Jordà.
The roaring of the engines, the pungent smell of gasoline in the air, and traces of burnt rubber on the asphalt: with its combination of technology and unadulterated passion, motorsport exerts a special kind of attraction. In view of the many parallels between motor racing and the art of watchmaking, such as precision engineering, customized technological solutions, and teamwork, IWC Schaffhausen has been actively involved in motorsport for many years. For example, the luxury watch brand has been a partner of Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance arm of Mercedes-Benz, since 2004. Apart from that, the company has been Official Engineering Partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula 1 team since 2013.
Historic vehicles likewise wield a special fascination of their own. Historic racing cars like the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow W 125 and classic sports cars like the Mercedes Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” have powerful engines, of course, but also enchant car lovers with their timeless design: yet another similarity to the high-quality mechanical watches lovingly crafted with care and attention to detail in IWC’s workshops since 1868. For this reason, IWC recently extended its commitment to motorsport to more classic racing. Through the Goodwood Members’ Meeting it has supported selected historic racing events since 2015.
This year, IWC is going a step further and has founded its own motorsport team. In future, the IWC Racing Team will line up at the start of several selected classic events.The team’s car of choice is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing”. The iconic sports car with its unmistakable, vertically opening doors reminiscent of a seagull’s wings was first made in the 1950s, at about the same time as the Ingenieur, IWC Schaffhausen’s first automatic watch. Taking their turn at the wheel will be top drivers like David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Maro Engel, Jochen Mass, and Carmen Jordá. The team’s partners are Mercedes-AMG, Santoni, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, and Laureus Sport for Good. The team makes its debut appearance in the Salvadori Cup at the 76th Goodwood Members’ Meeting. Further races will follow.
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.
