IWC JOURNAL: I’m a Pilot’s Watch Chronograph “AMG”

What can I say? It’s the adrenaline of motorsports that brought me here. I’m the inevitable product of a partnership that has been fruitful for over a decade and a half. The secret to our success? A passion for design, engineering excellence and building powerful performance machines – these are just a few examples of the shared values between IWC and our partner Mercedes-AMG.

— Hi. I’m a Pilot’s Watch Chronograph “AMG”

LIFE AS A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE MACHINE

Of course, it’s the inner values that are of the essence. And that includes my humble self. While my heart beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, I draw my much-needed energy from an IWC in-house chronograph movement. A caliber 69385, to be precise. Its rotor winds my mainspring in both directions while in full swing and provides me with much more power in much less time.

What's also pretty cool about my movement is the fact that it enables me to measure stop time of up to 12 hours; which makes me a wonderful companion should you ever consider running a marathon.

Lastly, my caliber 69 is equipped with a column wheel which avoids a jump when starting the chronograph function to make the pusher action slightly smoother and just simply better. At least that’s what they say.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

However, I would still like to talk a bit about my outer appearance and qualities. First and foremost: my face. Needless to say, I've had quite some work done. Made of black woven carbon fiber, my dial nicely constrasts with the silver chronograph sub-dials that remind me a bit of motorsports instruments.

My face is the result of countless hours of research, thoughtful designing and a complex production process involving heat and pressure to make the material as light and rigid as possible. Next, weaving machines transform the raw carbon fibers into textile structures, giving my face its characteristic “woven” look – a pattern also reflected in the embossed black calfskin strap with contrast stitching.

Speaking of material: did you know that car parts made of carbon fiber are the number one choice in auto racing? Why? Because carbon fiber provides the perfect weight to power ratio in a racing car. And that’s exactly what you need for quickly navigating corners. Moreover, car parts have to withstand constant beating and therefore are made of a super durable material. You see, there’s no way I can break that pretty face of mine.

— IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph “AMG” on a wrist

— IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “AMG” Ref. IW377903

I’M CRAFTED FROM AUTO ENGINEERING MATERIALS

As for my other outer features, I’m proud to say that I’m the first IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph that is made of titanium. More specifically, my case, pushers and crown are all made of Grade 5 titanium, a high-performance alloy known for being extremely strong, light, durable and naturally resistant to rust and corrosion. That’s why it’s often used in the aircraft construction- and medical device industry, as well as, of course, in the performance and sports car industry. The matte gray look of my titanium parts is inspired by AMG’s signature Selenite Grey Magno paint finish - another small tribute by my designers to our partner AMG.

I’m quite excited to finally have found my permanent place in our Pilot’s Watches collection and to represent and celebrate this very special partnership, which is epitomized by the emblazoned Mercedes-AMG logo on my tinted sapphire crystal case back. Is there a better way to illustrate IWC’s strive for perfect quality with the help of cutting-edge technology? I don’t think so.

I’ll be available for pre-order from May 21 online at iwc.com, through IWC Boutiques and authorized retail partners.

Hope to be on your wrist soon. :-)