IWC Puts the Pedal to the Metal

In his fourth consecutive win at COTA, Hamilton bested Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, who finished second in the U.S. Grand Prix. While Hamilton dominated on the track, IWC Schaffhausen played a significant role off the track. The brand has partnered with Mercedes-AMG for 13 years now (since 2004), and its involvement with the Mercedes-AMG F1 racing team, which began a few years ago, propels it to new heights. The brand was present at the F1 U.S. Grand Prix from practices through to the win, and took the opportunity to show off the new Ingenieur Chronograph Sports Edition “50th Anniversary of Mercedes-AMG” watch – seen in America for the first time.

Ingenieur Chronograph Sports Edition “50th Anniversary of Mercedes-AMG”

The new “50th Anniversary of Mercedes-AMG” Ingenieur Chronograph celebrates the performance sports car brand from Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, as it turns 50 this year. The watch unveiled in its partner’s honor is a 44mm titanium-cased mechanical chronograph, made in-house at IWC Schaffhausen. In addition to offering a stopwatch function with hours, minutes and seconds, the self-winding caliber is surrounded by a soft-iron inner case that protects it against magnetic fields. This anti-magnetic inner case is a hallmark of IWC, which first unveiled the concept to the world in the 1930s for its pilot’s watches.

The round case holds a crisp white dial with tachymeter scale and red accents. The IWC 89361 caliber with flyback chronograph function offers engineered precision and 68 hours of power reserve. A portion of the inner iron case, which is designed to resemble a brake disc, can be viewed via a sapphire caseback. Also, the back of the cage is engraved with the words “A Tribute to One Man, One Engine” – a saying intended to bring together the concepts of mechanical genius not just from Mercedes-AMG, but also from IWC. Just like the watch’s movement is made in-house in IWC’s workshops, so, too, are the engines of the Mercedes-AMGs, which are assembled in the brand’s manufacturing department by a single mechanic.

This new Ingenieur Chronograph 50th Anniversary of Mercedes-AMG watch is made in a limited edition of 250 pieces. It complements others that were unveiled in this collection earlier in the year. Inspired by watches from the 1950s, the Ingenieur timepieces are just beginning to make their way to stores this fall. However, this latest watch may well be the icing on the proverbial cake thanks to its sleek look and alluring dial. It is water-resistant to 12 bar and retails for a cool $11,800.

According to Edouard d’Arbaumont, head of IWC North America, the newest timepiece is designed to raise awareness of the technical prowess of both brands – and to celebrate the partnership, and Mercedes-AMG’s 50th anniversary, in style. Not only was IWC present throughout the entire racing event, the watch firm also sponsored an event with a local Austin retailer, L. Majors, wherein both brands interacted with clients and collectors. “It is important to partner with Mercedes and Formula One for a variety of reasons, including visibility and customer contact,” says d’Arbaumont. “As Formula One racing in America grows in status, our partnership is a great story to communicate to car and auto racing lovers, and to help garner a new customer.”

At Circuit of the Americas

Circuit of the Americas is a Grade 1 FIA racing venue on 1,500 acres of rolling hills outside Austin city limits. Witnessing the Formula One United States Grand Prix there is especially exciting, as the 3.41-mile track features 20 turns, and a challenging 133-foot hill at Turn 1. Practice day on Friday was particularly difficult due to rain. The wet conditions on the track put pressure on all teams to determine tire usage, as the teams are limited to a specific number of tires for each day. On Saturday’s qualifying races and Sunday’s finals, the weather cooperated nicely.

IWC guests were treated to the Paddock Club and were given Pit Lane tours and time inside the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. (“MGP”) garage. Most of the time, Lewis Hamilton was in the driver’s seat – practicing and readying himself for the big win. The British driver is a three-time Formula One World Champion and is now on target to make that a fourth World Championship title. He is considered one of the best Formula One drivers in the history of the sport.

Hamilton’s win and Mercedes-AMG teammate Valtteri Bottas’ fifth-place finish secured Mercedes’ fourth consecutive constructor’s championship. The next leg in the F1 world circuit took place in Mexico City on October 29. IWC and the newest watch were also there to support the team.