IWC Schaffhausen
© Mercedes-Benz Group AG
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team
As a logical continuation of our partnership with Mercedes-AMG, IWC became the ‘Official Engineering Partner’ of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team in 2013. The partnership focuses on the shared values between mechanical engineering and watchmaking. As ‘Official Engineering Partner’, IWC has a prominent presence on the driver gloves, overalls, team kit and cars. IWC customers can even experience a Formula One™ race up close at selected Grands Prix™. Most recently, IWC was thrilled to congratulate the team on their eighth successive FIA Formula One™ World Constructors’ Championship in 2021.
Thus far, IWC have dedicated two extraordinary limited-edition Pilot’s Watches to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team. Both special editions, released in 2019, featured matt black zirconium oxide ceramic cases and carbon fibre dials – both high-tech materials, also used in Formula One™ racing. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport” (Ref. IW389005) and the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport” (Ref. IW503003) had a striking black design with PETRONAS green accents, inspired by the Mercedes team colours.
IWC also enjoys a close collaborative relationship with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team Driver Lewis Hamilton and is excited to join forces with Hamilton’s new teammate George Russell, who races for Mercedes from 2022.
LEWIS HAMILTON
Born in Stevenage, England, in 1985, Hamilton first climbed into a kart aged eight and hasn’t looked back since. His incredible pace and prodigious talent has seen him scale the career ladder at lightning speed. After winning the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future series, he enrolled in the team’s Young Driver Programme in 1997. He joined British Formula Renault in 2001, winning the title two years later, before moving to the Formula 3 Euro Series, where he was crowned junior champion whilst still in his second year. Promotion to GP2 saw rookie Hamilton dominate the 2006 Championship. It was a feat that secured him entry to Formula One™ racing in 2007, as he made his Grand Prix™ debut for McLaren at just 22. The season was a spectacular success, and Hamilton remained in title contention up until the finale. In 2008 he won it, becoming the youngest ever Formula One™ World Champion. Four years later, in 2013, the Briton joined the works Mercedes team after six seasons with McLaren, finishing the year fourth. In 2014 he claimed the drivers’ crown for a second time, after taking 11 victories, matched with a third title in 2015. The following season brought Hamilton another 10 wins. In 2017 the Drivers’ Championship was his again; a triumph he also matched in 2018 and 2019. Hamilton’s career reached even greater heights in 2020, as he broke numerous records, including surpassing Michael Schumacher’s number of Grands Prix™ wins before matching the German’s tally of titles with a seventh Drivers’ Championship.
Lewis became an IWC ambassador in 2013 and the Swiss Manufacture launched the first of several special editions dedicated to him in 2014: The Ingenieur Chronograph Edition Lewis Hamilton (IW379602) in a titanium case limited to 250 pieces. The accompanying campaign saw the British driver use his watch to stop time and halt the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow W196 in its tracks.
The following year, IWC congratulated Lewis on winning a fifth FIA Formula One™ World Drivers’ Championship title with a special IWC Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Perpetual Calendar “Boutique Edition” (IW502903). A year later, in 2019, IWC presented the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition (Ref. IW503002) co-created by IWC’s designers and Hamilton himself. That same year, the Briton starred in IWC’s thrilling Spitfire collection campaign movie. The film featured Hamilton driving the iconic Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow W125 around Goodwood with a Spitfire aircraft flying above. For the 2020 season, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team changed to an all-black livery as part of their commitment to the fight for greater diversity and inclusion. Hamilton also raced in black overalls, boots, gloves and a revised helmet design. IWC custom-designed the IWC Black ceramic Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar for Hamilton to show support.
In 2021, Hamilton featured in a new global advertising campaign for IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch, which tracked his evolution from a ‘driver of the fastest cars’ to a ‘driver of change’. The stunning imagery, shot by British photographer Misan Harriman, captured Hamilton’s passion for raising awareness of social injustices. In the same year, Hamilton was awarded the Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year Award at the 22nd edition of the Laureus World Sports Awards for his work in broadening opportunities to people from diverse backgrounds, in his sport and outside of it.
Listen to our podcast episode with Lewis Hamilton here.
GEORGE RUSSELL
Born in Kings Lynn, England, in 1998, Russell began his racing career in karting in 2006. Over the next eight seasons, he became MSA British Cadet Champion, British Open Champion, Super One British Champion, Formula Kart Stars British Champion, and CIK-FIA European Junior Champion, to name just a few. In 2014, he graduated to single-seater racing, claiming the BRDC Formula 4 Championship title at the first attempt, as well as numerous podiums in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS Championship. The following year, he switched to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship™ for the next two seasons, finishing 2016 in third after claiming two wins. In 2017, he joined the junior driver programme of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and competed in the GP3 Series for ART Grand Prix, taking four victories, seven podiums and four pole positions on his way to winning the Driver’s Championship.
In 2018, he stepped up to Formula Two™, again with ART Grand Prix, winning the championship alongside his role as Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Reserve Driver. The following year he made it to the Formula One™ grid, joining Williams Racing on a multi-year deal. A difficult debut season was followed by an excellent 2020 that saw Russell regularly almost finish in the points for the British team. At that year’s Sakhir event, he was drafted in to replace an ill Hamilton and put in a star turn, missing out on pole by just 0.026s and narrowly missing out on victory. He continued to drive for Williams in 2021, earning his first points for the team at the Hungarian Grand Prix™, before qualifying second and claiming his first Formula One™ podium finish at the Belgium event. In 2022 he embarks on a new career chapter, joining Hamilton at Mercedes.
Listen to our podcast episode with George Russell here.
THE 2022 FIA Formula One™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR:
March 18 - 20
Bahrain
March 25 - 27
Saudi Arabia
April 08 - 10
Australia
April 22 - 24
Italy
May 06 - 08
United States
May 20 - 22
Spain
May 27 - 29
Monaco
June 10 - 12
Azerbaijan
June 17 - 19
Canada
July 01 - 03
Great Britain
July 08 - 10
Austria
July 22 - 24
France
July 29 - 31
Hungary
August 26 - 28
Belgium
September 02 - 04
Netherlands
September 09 - 11
Italy
September 30 - October 02
Singapore
October 07 - 09
Japan
October 21 - 23
United States
October 28 - 30
Mexico
November 11 - 13
Brazil
November 18 - 20
Abu Dhabi
Featured watches
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AMG and IWC – three letters which embody a very special way of life and represent technical excellence, exclusivity, precision and passion for engineering throughout the world.
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