Together with its brand ambassadors and race-winning FORMULA
ONE drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, Swiss luxury watch manufacturer
IWC Schaffhausen has developed two special edition watches, each limited to 250
pieces. Just days before the Singapore Grand Prix, the two Silver Arrow drivers
each unveiled their own personal Ingenieur Chronograph. In addition, IWC
Schaffhausen announces the renewal of its current partnership with the MERCEDES
AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team.
Apart from their professional interest in FORMULA ONE, Lewis
Hamilton and Nico Rosberg also share a passion for mechanical watches. As brand
ambassadors of IWC Schaffhausen, they had a hand in the design of their own
watches, and, prior to the first practice sessions on the track, appeared for
their presentation at an IWC event in Singapore. “Lewis and Nico are not only
unique personalities and incredibly successful sportsmen but also very
creative. They were both immediately very interested in the idea of launching
two limited special edition watches. I’m confident that these unusual
timepieces will be equally popular with motorsport enthusiasts and watch
connoisseurs,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. Indeed, the
results are impressive: the Ingenieur Chronograph Edition “Lewis Hamilton”
(Ref. IW379602) has a distinctly technical appeal, while the Ingenieur
Chronograph Edition “Nico Rosberg” (Ref. IW379603) is both lighter and sportier
in appearance. The main aims of the collaboration between IWC and the two
outstanding MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS drivers were to equip both teammates with a
personalized and characteristic watch and to adapt the concept of “performance
engineering” to the successful Silver Arrow drivers. “Lewis and Nico surprised
us with their concrete ideas as to how their ideal watches would look,” says
Christian Knoop, Creative Director of IWC Schaffhausen.“You felt clearly that
they both have an individual affinity for watches. They demonstrated a great
deal of understanding and aesthetic sensitivity during the design process and
made a contribution to the final result.”
AT HOME OUT ON THE CIRCUIT
The fact that the watch chosen was a chronograph from the
Ingenieur family was no coincidence. First, the chronograph is the epitome of
sports timing; and, second, the Ingenieur collection pays tribute to the global
partnership between IWC and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS with materials typically used
in motorsport, such as titanium, carbon fibre and ceramic. For both Nico
Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, the only conceivable material for the case was
titanium. With a satin finish, the light grey metal used for the
high-performance components in motorsport is particularly appealing. The rugged
timepieces have been equipped with one of the most efficient movements
manufactured entirely by IWC, the 89361 calibre. Specially developed for this
movement design, the IWC double-pawl winding system is one of most efficient
drives used in haute horlogerie movements from IWC. The upper totalizer
displays clocked hours and minutes as clearly as the time of day. Stopped times
up to one minute are measured by the central seconds hand. Another very
practical feature for anyone who frequents the world’s racing circuits is the
flyback function for measuring pit-stop times. Both of the special editions,
which are each limited to 250 watches, have a special feature on the reverse
side: inset into the titanium case back is a medallion of carbon fibre, which
may well show signs of wear and tear. A certificate supplied with each watch
confirms that the material originally comes from one of the Silver Arrow cars
used by MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. The back of the watch is sealed with a
water-resistant sapphire glass that bears the personal logo of Nico Rosberg or
Lewis Hamilton on the inner surface.
INGENIEUR CHRONOGRAPH EDITION “LEWIS HAMILTON”
IW379602
FEATURES
Mechanical chronograph movement with IWC’s double-pawl
winding system
Date display with crown-activated rapid advance
Stopwatch function with hours, minutes and seconds
Hour and minute counters combined in a totalizer at 12
o’clock
Flyback function
Small hacking seconds
Screw-in crown
Crown protection
Limited to 250 watches
Case-back ring, engraved with “IWC ∙ INGENIEUR ∙ LEWIS
HAMILTON ∙ ONE OUT OF 250”
MOVEMENT
IWC-manufactured calibre: 89361
Frequency: 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 38
Power reserve: 68 h
Winding: automatic
WATCH
Materials titanium case, black carbon-fibre dial, indices
and hands coated with Super-LumiNova®*, titanium bracelet with
precision-adjustment clasp, folding clasp in titanium
Glass: sapphire, flat, antireflective coating on both sides
Crown: screw-in
Water-resistant: 12 bar
Diameter: 45 mm
Case height: 15.5 mm
Photographs: IWC
INGENIEUR CHRONOGRAPH EDITION “NICO ROSBERG”
IW379603
FEATURES
Mechanical chronograph movement with IWC’s double-pawl
winding system
Date display with crown-activated rapid advance
Stopwatch function with hours, minutes and seconds
Hour and minute counters combined in a totalizer at 12
o’clock
Flyback function
Small hacking seconds
Screw-in crown
Crown protection
Limited to 250 watches
Case-back ring, engraved with “IWC ∙ INGENIEUR ∙ NICO
ROSBERG ∙ ONE OUT OF 250”
MOVEMENT
IWC-manufactured calibre: 89361
Frequency: 28,800 A/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 38
Power reserve: 68 h
Winding: automatic
WATCH
Materials: titanium case, silver-plated dial, indices and
hands coated with Super-LumiNova®*, rubber strap with embossed calfskin inlay,
folding clasp in titanium
Glass: sapphire, flat, antireflective coating on both sides
Crown: screw-in
Water-resistant: 12 bar
Diameter: 45 mm
Case height: 15.5 mm
