IWC and Mercedes-AMG have enjoyed almost two decades of collaborations, so, it’s safe to say this isn’t their first rodeo. To date, IWC has been inextricably linked with aviation and has thus far lacked a dedicated racing chronograph — think: the Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, TAG Heuer Carrera, and Zenith Chronograph Sport — an interesting predicament given the Schaffhausen-based manufacture has been the Official Engineering Partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team since 2013.
You’ll also enjoy:
The Popular IWC Colours Of Top Gun Collection Just Got A Whole Lot More Wearable
The IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton Takes Pole Position
Dive In; The 17 Best Dive Watches To Buy In 2023
However, the duo’s latest release marks a new direction for the Swiss manufacture, with a timepiece that is equally at home on the road as it is in the sky.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG and the (wordy!) Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team are an ode to the motorsport partnership, with their aesthetics feeling same same but different. Dubbed ‘performance chronographs’, both releases utilise the Swiss manufacture’s familiar vertical tricompax dial layout and Pilot’s Chronograph 41 proportions. Par for course, each 41.1mm timepiece features a screw-down crown and is depth-resistant to 100m. The AMG variant is crafted from grade 5 titanium while the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team iteration comes in IWC’s proprietary Ceratanium (an alloy composed of titanium and ceramic); the former is a lighter shade of silver while the latter has a matte dark grey finish.
Pretty standard.
However, the addition of a fixed black tachymetre bezel takes each timepiece into racing territory. The addition of a tachymeter scale allows the wearer to measure the average speed in relation to the distance travelled. Activating the chronograph initiates a measurement; once a kilometre is travelled, the chronograph is stopped. The central chronograph seconds hand will point to a number on the tachymeter scale, indicating the average speed in kilometres per hour.
“The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 combines our extensive know-how in developing industry-leading chronographs with our comprehensive expertise in advanced materials,” explains Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Both these new chronographs feature ceramic bezels with tachymeter scales, adding the dimension of speed to the highly accurate stop time measurements.”
Other details distinguish the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 from the manufacture’s preexisting lineup. Both timepieces eschew the usual matte finish in favour of glossy polished lacquer dials, with the three subdials further recessed into the dial. The snailled subdials and applied indices and numerals are crafted from blackened nickel and are filled with a luminescent coating to ensure legibility under all lighting conditions. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is further differentiated by the use of Petronas Blue—cough teal cough—on the day-date, minutes track, and small-seconds hand.
Both timepieces are powered by the in-house calibre 69385, which beats at a frequency of 28,800vph and has a power reserve of 46 hours. The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG and the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team are both available on a rubber strap or with a bracelet matching its respective case material (i.e. titanium or Ceratanium).
The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG is priced at $15,300AUD (rubber strap) or $18,300 (titanium bracelet) while the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is $22,900AUD on rubber and $33,800AUD paired with the Ceratanium bracelet. Both are available via the IWC webstore.
Words by John Deckard
