SPECIAL EDITION PAYS TRIBUTE TO SIX-TIME FORMULA ONE™ WORLD CHAMPION LEWIS HAMILTON
Schaffhausen, 28th November 2019 – IWC Schaffhausen presents the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition. The special design, limited to 100 watches, combines a black ceramic case and a Bordeaux-red dial with a crown and a case-back ring made of 18-carat 5N gold. The British racing driver created the distinctive timepiece together with IWC’s designers.
As a six-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton sets the ultimate standard – and not just as part of motorsport’s elite. He also doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to fashion and lifestyle either. Luxurious streetwear, trendy suits and unusual accessories – with his daring and expressive sense of style, Hamilton uses fashion as a way to communicate his distinct point of view on global culture. Now, he and IWC have designed a spectacular watch together.
“This partnership with IWC was incredibly exciting for me, and it’s been an honour to collaborate so closely with the watchmakers in Schaffhausen,” said Hamilton. “Together, we’ve designed a beautiful timepiece which combines two things I am really passionate about – craftsmanship and design – and I am so pleased with the result.”
The “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition (ref. IW503002) is limited to 100 watches and features a case made of black zirconium oxide ceramic and a Bordeaux-red dial. The gold-plated hands and the case back, rotor and characteristic “cone crown” made of 18-carat 5N gold provide luxury accents. The watch, with a generous diameter of 46.5 millimetres, has a Bordeaux-red textile strap to be worn around the wrist.
“Lewis approached us with the idea of a watch in Bordeaux-red and gold. Our starting point was the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar – a favourite model of Hamilton’s, who is also an acknowledged expert in Haute Horlogerie. We decided on a case made of black ceramic with hints of gold and a Bordeaux-red dial and textile strap. This combination radiates understated luxury.”
The IWC 52615 manufacture calibre ensures that the watch rate is accurate. Its Pellaton winding system, fitted with components made from zirconium oxide ceramic, builds up a power reserve of seven days in two barrels. The perpetual calendar, made of only about 80 components, displays the date, day, month and year to four figures, as well as showing the lunar phase. The mechanical programme autonomously recognises that different months are different lengths, and adds a leap day every four years at the end of February. The double moon phase display simultaneously shows the lunar phase in the northern and southern hemispheres and will only deviate from the moon’s actual orbit by a single day after 577.5 years. All displays are perfectly synchronised and can be easily adjusted via the crown if the watch is not worn for a prolonged period.
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the 'International Watch Company' in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC's unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titaniumaluminide and Ceratanium™. Preferring the principle of "form follows function" over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer's timeless creations embody their owners' dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.