IWC Schaffhausen
Goodwood Members’ Meeting 2018 – One for the Books!
This year’s Goodwood members’ meeting will certainly go down as a noteworthy one for IWC. Beyond unveiling our limited edition Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition “76th Members' Meeting at Goodwood” timepiece, we launched our racing team in the exciting world of motorsport. The introduction of the IWC Racing Team proved a highly welcomed edition to an historic event known for its focus on world-class cars from all eras set against the backdrop of this exquisite English estate.
The announcement regarding the IWC Racing Team came on Saturday March 17th. Present at the launch were IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr along with legendary 13 time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard. Coulthard was on tap to drive during the qualifying round for Sunday’s Salvadori Cup. The car: a Mercedes-Benz SL 300 “Gullwing”. This particular model was highly appropriate for the Goodwood 76 members’ meeting as it distinctly harkens the gullwing cars Daimler-Benz was famous for in the mid 1950s. Partners of Mercedes-AMG since 2004, we wanted to deepen our connection with world famous car maker as well as with the timeless sport of racing. The SL 300 “Gullwing” embodies both elegance of style and ingenuity of purpose. The doors which open upward, mimic the graceful line of a seagull’s wings, while the innovation of the design feature added to the car’s overall aerodynamics.
The choice of Coulthard to begin the racing era for IWC was an easy one. Between 1994 and 2008, Coulthard raced in over 240 Grand Prix events. Highly decorated, and now a well-known UK Chanel 4 Formula 1 racing pundit, Coulthard had the experience, the chops and the flair to help bring IWC’s Racing Team to life at this debut event.
A Race to Remember – Goodwood #76MM and the IWC Partnership
As anticipated, the Salvadori Cup held on Sunday March 18th on the 3.8 kilometer Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit, was marked by excitement, building suspense and crowds clamouring for more. Add in severe weather conditions with cold and snow abounding, and this had all the makings of a nail-biter. IWC had a splendid debut, with Coulthard placing ninth. The team was quite happy with turnout and overall, the success of their foray into motorsport.
The launch of our limited edition Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition “76th Members' Meeting at Goodwood” also proved a memorable occasion. A masterpiece in engineering and first developed in 1955, the IWC Ingenieur Special Edition was the ideal choice for this year’s meeting. Only 176 pieces were created in honor of the event. The Ingenieur collection’s use of motorsport derived materials: titanium along with one of the hardest and most resistant ceramics on the planet, make this a timepiece that defines the future of horlogerie. Not to mention, the watch design itself authentically captures the spirit of racing. The imprint of a brake disc is etched upon the back while the watch face encapsulates the soul of a racing dashboard.
In addition, the weekend involved a number of activities during which IWC guests were treated to exclusive tours of the paddocks. They also had the pleasure of taking in the scenery of Goodwood in vintage Land Rovers. Attendees had the chance to absorb the estate and countryside while enjoying the intimacy of this classic kick-off to racing season.
Since 2015, IWC has had the distinct privilege of being the “Official Timing Partner” of the Goodwood Members’ Meeting. Now all the more deeply involved given the dynamic new racing team and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, we have created an even stronger connection to an event that prizes the ideals of performance and longevity.
The IWC Racing Team: What’s to Come
The future is certainly bright for the IWC Racing team. The plan is to compete in selected classic car races, with the drivers alternating between David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Jochen Maas, Maro Engel, and Carmen Jorda. Like Coulthard, the other drivers in the line-up also have their share of awards and accolades. Hamilton is considered by some to be the best Formula 1 pilot of our time, while his teammate Bottas has stood on the podium over a dozen times. Maas began his racing career in the 1960s and has been going strong ever since. Engel is already an important part of the Mercedes family, having raced with the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport DTM team since 2017. And Jorda, a notable female driver, is the only woman to compete in three GP3 Series seasons.
The introduction of this team only serves to enhance IWC’s profile of fine, innovative and enduring watchmaking by underscoring our connection with a sport that embodies very much of the same. As CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr notes “With the foundation of the IWC Racing Team, we are now extending the storytelling universe that we build around our high-quality mechanical watches with an additional, highly attractive dimension. With this step, we once again underscore our role as a pioneer in the luxury watch industry.”
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IWC Schaffhausen
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Humans of IWC: Hans Ulrich Scholpp
Hans Ulrich Scholpp trusts his instincts when it comes to making decisions. Find out how the enthusiastic car- and watch collector got into the world of design.