IWC Schaffhausen has teamed up with punk rock- and street-inspired designer Mark Ong to design the IWC x SBTG special edition watch strap in green camouflage, the visual trademark of Ong’s home-grown label SBTG (short for ‘Sabotage’). Known for his shoe customization and streetwear designs, Mark Ong, aka Mr. Sabotage, kick-started his journey in 2002, when he sold his first pair of customized sneakers online. Soon, his clients included basketball celebrities from abroad who were intrigued not only by Ong’s artistic and craftsmanship skills, but also by his background as an ardent skateboarder with a certain anti-establishment attitude. Since his youth, when he used leather, rubber, or even bicycle tires to patch holes in his shoes, his punk and skateboarding influences are palpable in all of Ong’s creations.
The Journal
BUCKLE UP: IWC X SBTG CREATE LIMITED EDITION WATCH STRAP
BUCKLE UP: IWC X SBTG CREATE LIMITED EDITION WATCH STRAP
Read Time:
2 min
Shipping and delivery conditions
GREEN CAMOUFLAGE WATCH STRAP BY SINGAPOREAN STREETWEAR DESIGNER MARK ONG IS OFFERED IN TWO DIFFERENT WIDTHS
The IWC x SBTG special edition watch strap is available in two different widths covering a broad range of IWC Pilot’s Watches, including the Big Pilot’s Watch 43, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph in various sizes and materials, and the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII and XX lineup. The complete strap set comes in a customized box and includes a pin buckle and fitting spring bars in case the respective watch does not feature the IWC EasX-CHANGE® system yet.
The limited-edition calfskin strap is available on iwc.com as of October 20, 2022, and in IWC boutiques. Check out the below suitable references or go directly to the IWC Strap Selector to find out if the IWC x SBTG watch strap fits your Pilot’s Watch.
The strap with a width of 20/18 mm is suitable for the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX, Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire, Pilot’s Watch Automatic TOP GUN, Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire and the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII.
The strap with a width of 21/18 mm can be fitted on the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph in 43 mm, the Big Pilot’s Watch 43, the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph, and most versions of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph with a case diameter of 44.5 mm, such as the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN.
ENHANCE YOUR IWC PILOT’S WATCH
WATCHES COMPATIBLE WITH SBTG STRAP 20/18MM
REF. IW3270
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII
IW327001
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII
IW327002
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition «Antoine De Saint Exupéry»
IW327003
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition «Le Petit Prince»
IW327004
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Heritage
IW327006
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition «Tribute to Mark XI»
IW327007
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII
IW327009
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition «Le Petit Prince»
IW327010
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII
IW327011
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII
IW327012
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition «Le Petit Prince»
IW327014
Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII
IW327015
REF. IW3881
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41
IW388101
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41
IW388102
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41
IW388103
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41
IW388104
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “C.03”
IW388105
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium®
IW388106
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Chinese New Year”
IW388107
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”
IW388108
REF. IW3269
REF. IW3879
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire
IW387901
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire
IW387902
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire
IW387903
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Tribute to 3705”
IW387905
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition «10 Years of Mr Porter»
IW387907
Pilot’s Sultanate of Oman Chronograph Automatic
IW387910
WATCHES COMPATIBLE WITH SBTG STRAP 21/18MM
REF. IW3891
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN
IW389101
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert”
IW389103
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “SFTI”
IW389104
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe”
IW389105
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland”
IW389106
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Royal Maces”
IW389107
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MARK ONG HERE…
His parents had big plans for him: to become a doctor or lawyer and lead a quiet, traditional life, with a steady job and income. But Mark was a rebel at heart, constantly looking to buck the trend. Conform to social expectations? No thanks. He preferred to go skateboarding while attentively observing the patterns and designs around him.
And so he bought a cheap pair of white sneakers and started painting on them. First, he would work in his parents’ kitchen; later in his own studio. His inspiration: punk rock, eighties Americana, camouflage motifs, and of course, skateboarding. Soon, a store in Tokyo commissioned him to design a limited-edition sneaker. It was sold-out in no time. Twenty years later, Mark Ong has turned SBTG into one of the hottest local brands in Singapore, designing and customizing streetwear and sneakers.
The IWC JOURNAL spoke with the gentle rebel about his career, his unfailing instincts, and his collaboration with IWC.
— Mark Ong wearing the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland” with the new IWC x SBTG watch strap
GO AGAINST THE CURRENT
Why is skateboarding the coolest sport in the world?
It’s more than that, I’m gonna say it goes along the lines of culture, lifestyle and even state of mind. For me it’s a guiding system of how I approach life in the sense of creativity and independence. I feel like I could say that I’m a skateboarder even after my body stops allowing me to do so.
When did you first realize you were somehow different from others?
As early as I could remember, I sorta repelled from popular choice which I later knew as herd mentality. I learned to question the status quo at a very young age. If everyone had a blue backpack, I wanted a red one and would sometimes even go as far as asking for a sling bag.
How would your wife describe you?
Dependable and slightly eccentric.
And how would your clients describe your products?
Distinct, different, rebellious.
HITTING THE RIGHT SPOT
Where did you take your inspiration from for the design of the new IWC straps?
I wanted the straps to look like my other products. So, I picked the pattern that I’m most known for. I spent more than a decade painting it, it’s a very therapeutic process which takes my mind into a space of learning. I believe products hold energy and I hope that the user can feel that energy.
What challenges did you face while designing the straps?
I have been designing products for a long time so I won’t really call it challenges except for the usual back and forth till we hit the spot. I enjoy this process.
The IWC x SBTG special edition watch strap on the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland” IW389106
(1/3)
Attaching the IWC x SBTG watch strap is quick and easy…
(2/3)
… thanks to the IWC EasX-CHANGE® system.
(3/3)
— Mark Ong’s design studio is where the magic happens
THAT SABOTAGE INSTINCT
What’s the most wonderful compliment you have ever received?
During the start of my career, I got to meet my idol in Tokyo. We were walking down Harajuku one afternoon and he had someone stop him for an autograph. Many years later I had someone stop me at the same exact spot in Tokyo to ask for mine. That somehow solidified the choices I made all these years.
What’s the best decision you have ever made?
Not questioning my instincts to ask for a red sling bag when I was a kid and harnessing that mindset to shape my life :)
