And ever since the TAG Heuer Monaco debuted in the movie Grand Prix in 1969, brands like IWC Schaffhausen, Rolex, TAG Heuer, and Richard Mille have gone on to form longstanding partnerships with many established Formula 1 teams. This relationship, of course, continues to be accurately reflected in the latest auto racing cinematic extravaganza ‘F1’, which also happens to be Apple’s first true blockbuster production.
In this new film, IWC appears as one of the official sponsors of the fictional APXGP team, with its branding on the cars, driver suits, helmets, team uniforms, and inside its pit garage. They’ve also chosen the occasion to debut three outstanding new releases in their collection.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Limited Edition
It’s no secret that Brad Pitt is a huge horology aficionado himself. That’s why he reportedly gave a lot of feedback on the watches that his character has on in the film. Given that his lead role, Sonny, is a veteran racer, Pitt wanted the watches to have a battered, vintage patina – looking like they’ve been passed down from his racer dad. So, Pitt requested a customised version of the IWC Ingenieur SL “Jumbo” reference 1832 that was first released in 1976. As a result, IWC modified the watch and added a beautifully customised green dial, resulting in a stunning vintage timepiece that almost never leaves Pitt’s wrist!
So, IWC has now released the Ingenieur Automatic 40 – a limited-edition version of the watch featured in the movie with a stainless-steel case and bracelet, a green “Grid” dial, and gold-plated markers and hands filled with Super-LumiNova. The colour combination echoes the watch worn on screen, but remains faithful to the original Ingenieur design with its signature bezel secured by five functional screws and an integrated bracelet with butterfly folding clasp. Inside ticks the IWC-manufactured calibre 32111 with a 120-hour power reserve.
Water resistant to 10 bar, while the watch’s soft-iron inner case also protects the movement from magnetic field interference.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41
Damson Idris’s character is Joshua Pearce – a rising young star with a lot to learn. Thus, the watches he has on are naturally loud and bold to properly stand out and reflect his rather brash personality. The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 watch suits him perfectly as it certainly impresses with a case and crown crafted from solid 18-carat 5N gold. This is combined with a black lacquer dial and a black ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale.
It’s important to clarify that this isn’t simply the standard Pilot’s watches with an added tachymetric bezel and appropriate branding, mind you. Rather, it represents IWC’s interpretation of the classic racing chronograph. And don’t worry, it’s not intended to replace the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team either, as this remains in the collection.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph APXGP
Meanwhile, Javier Bardem plays APX GP team boss Ruben Cervantes – an effortlessly stylish former F1 driver. In the film, Javier is seen sporting the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP watch, which is definitely quite fitting for someone who’s often so impeccably dressed!
As a result, IWC has now produced special versions of its stainless-steel Pilot’s Watch Chronographs to celebrate this collaboration with the movie. This is available in a 41mm case and a 43mm size, with both models also featuring plenty of gold detailing, such as on the outer minute track, sub-dial tracks and hands. Each watch comes with a black rubber strap and stainless-steel pin buckle. Finally, IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system makes strap changes very simple indeed if switching to leather or another material is called for to suit one’s OOTD.
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