JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, SIMONE ASHLEY, AND HANS ZIMMER JOIN IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN AT WATCHES AND WONDERS GENEVA 2025 AHEAD OF THE UPCOMING MOVIE, F1
Schaffhausen/Geneva, 3rd April 2025: On display at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025, IWC Schaffhausen’s new watches are dedicated to its partnership with the upcoming movie, F1. As one of the official sponsors of APXGP, the fictional 11th team on the grid, IWC now extends its ties from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ team to the big screen. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by an all-star team including Jerry Bruckheimer, seven-time world champion driver Lewis Hamilton, and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, it aims to capture the adrenaline of the sport with unprecedented levels of authenticity. Academy Award-nominated producer Jerry Bruckheimer joined CEO Chris Grainger-Herr for a conversation, offering guests unique insights into the engineering of a movie of this calibre. Hans Zimmer, the two-time Academy Award-winning composer behind the movie’s score, was also present at the event.
For over a decade, IWC Schaffhausen has served as the “Official Engineering Partner” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team. Building on this, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer is now taking its passion for the sport to the big screen as the official sponsor of APXGP, the 11th fictional team on the grid in the upcoming movie, F1. The movie is shot with the actors driving real race cars against the backdrop of actual Grand Prix™ races.
To celebrate the launch of the new APXGP-inspired watches, Simone Ashley visited IWC at Watches and Wonders Geneva. The famed actress, who was involved with the filming of the movie F1, was greeted by CEO Chris Grainger-Herr and Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell. Together, they toured the booth featuring designs inspired by the movie and the precision and innovation that also define IWC and the racing sport.
The booth displays two original race cars used in the movie – authentic F2 vehicles modified to look like FORMULA 1 cars. In order to realistically bring the action of the racetrack to the movie, the crew had to engineer lightweight and compact new camera systems and integrate them into the cars. One of the exhibited race cars is accompanied by a Mercedes-AMG GLE 63S camera car with motorised camera crane on its roof – a similar system was used for filming complex and highly dynamic track shots in the movie F1. The other race car in the booth is one that crashed during the movie shoot, showing the extremes to which the crew had gone to capture the adrenaline and action of the sport as authentically as possible.
As one of the official team sponsors of APXGP, IWC fitted the whole team with watches, which are also on display in the booth – from the watches worn by actors Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon’s characters to the ones worn by team members such as mechanics and engineers.
During her visit, Simone Ashley wore the new Ingenieur Automatic 35 (Ref. IW324903). This new and more compact version of the Ingenieur features an 18-carat 5N gold 35-millimetre case and bracelet, completed with a gold-coloured dial.
A LOOK BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH JERRY BRUCKHEIMER
IWC hosted an exclusive talk between Chris GraingerHerr and Jerry Bruckheimer. They delved into the intersection between engineering movies and fine watchmaking, and how IWC’s legacy in FORMULA 1 aligns with the high-adrenaline storytelling of the movie. Offering guests unique behind-the-scenes insights, both recalled personal anecdotes from the production of the movie. On the occasion, Bruckheimer wore the new stainless steel Ingenieur Automatic 40 (ref. IW328908) with a green dial. This special edition was inspired by the bespoke Ingenieur SL, Reference 1832, worn by the character Sonny Hayes in the movie.
Adding to the excitement, the Academy Award-winning composer behind the movie’s score and long-time brand ambassador Hans Zimmer joined the conversation and played a preview of the score, explaining the inspiration behind it. Zimmer wore his Portugieser Eternal Calendar (ref. IW505701), IWC’s first secular calendar offering a moon phase accuracy of 45 million years.
Set for release this summer by Warner Bros. Pictures, Apple Original Films’ F1 is directed by Joseph Kosinski, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Kosinski, Lewis Hamilton, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Chad Oman. It stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a former driver who returns to Formula One™ alongside his rookie teammate, Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris. In addition, the cast also includes Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, and Javier Bardem.
Apple Original Films Presents a Monolith Pictures / Jerry Bruckheimer / Plan B Entertainment / Dawn Apollo Films Production, A Film by Joseph Kosinski, F1 distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, in theatres and IMAX nationwide on 27th June 2025, and internationally beginning 25th June 2025.
Watch the official F1 trailer here: link
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.