Final available piece to be auctioned by Bonhams for Ignite charitable initiative
Ahead of the British Grand Prix™ at Silverstone, the team’s long-time partner IWC Schaffhausen is pleased to announce the auction of the last Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes- AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team.” Limited to only 100 pieces, this exclusive Big Pilot’s Watch forms IWC’s recognition of the extraordinary career and achievements thus far of Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes- AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, while also highlighting his longstanding collaboration and relationship with IWC. Over the years, Toto has been seen wearing several IWC watches and prototypes during memorable moments, on and off the racetrack. The watch numbered 50 out of 100 – the last available – will be auctioned by international auction house Bonhams, with the proceeds going to Ignite, a joint charitable initiative operated by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team and Sir Lewis Hamilton to support greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport. At the same time, IWC Schaffhausen has announced the establishment of an annual 50,000 Euro donation for Ignite.
In 2013, Toto became a shareholder and executive director of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team. During his time as Team Principal & CEO, the team has won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 – more than any other team in elite world sport. With the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”, Toto was honoured with an IWC watch that carries his name.
“Toto Wolff is the outstanding team principal of his generation and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team has seen unprecedented success under his leadership. Winning a race or a single championship campaign are great achievements in their own right. However, Toto’s ability to create a dynamic team driven by a high-performance culture, has led to unmatched consistency and eight consecutive constructors’ titles over the last nine years of his tenure. We are proud to honour this outstanding personality with a unique Big Pilot’s Watch, and once again join forces with our longstanding. motorsport partner in support of a good cause,” explained Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.
“After almost a decade of partnership, it is an honour and a privilege to have been asked to design a watch with IWC Schaffhausen. For me, it had to be a Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar. The watch uses Ceratanium, a material that stands for robustness and strength, two features that are very important to me. The dial is in bold PETRONAS Green, the colour of our team, and, of course, I had to add a subtle red collar around the crown and pay tribute to our friend and colleague Niki Lauda. The final design is exactly how I had imagined it to be and I am delighted to donate this special timepiece to the auction and hope to raise as much as possible for the Ignite partnership,” states Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team” (Ref. IW503607) features a Ceratanium® case and crown, a glass dial, and black hands. The printing and luminescence are in the team’s signature PETRONAS green colour. Limited to only 100 pieces, this watch is fitted with a black rubber strap with textile inlay. Ceratanium® is a ground-breaking new material developed by IWC. It is as light and robust as titanium and almost as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. Ceratanium® is based on a special titanium alloy forged explicitly for IWC. The case components are machined from bars and then treated in a furnace process at high temperatures. During this heat treatment, they develop not only ceramic properties on their surface but also their striking matte black finish.
IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar was developed by former head-watchmaker Kurt Klaus during the 1980s. The mechanical program automatically recognises the different lengths of the months and the leap years, requiring no manual adjustment until 2100. The moon phase display shows the moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres and will only deviate by one day after 577.5 years. The calendar module is driven via a single nightly switching impulse by the IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre. This automatic movement features IWC’s iconic Pellaton winding system, which has been reinforced with ceramic components and accumulates a power reserve of 7 days in two barrels. The movement can be admired through the tinted sapphire glass back.
NUMBER 50 OF 100 TO BE AUCTIONED BY BONHAMS
The watch carrying the number 50 will be auctioned online by the international auction house Bonhams. The proceeds will go to Ignite. This charitable initiative launched in 2021 by The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team and Sir Lewis Hamilton will focus its work on supporting greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport. The watch comes with a 10-minute video call with Toto Wolff and a tour of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team™ HQ and Operations Centre, offering exclusive, behind-the-scenes insight into what goes into designing, manufacturing and running the world’s most advanced racing cars.
Interested buyers can register and place their bids here: www.bonhams.com/auction/28074.
IWC ANNOUNCES A YEARLY DONATION
In addition, IWC Schaffhausen and the Mercedes- AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team are also announcing the establishment of a yearly donation of 50,000 Euros, which will be funded by IWC. Like the auction proceeds, the funds will also go to Ignite.
Learn more: http://mb4.me/JNvKt9zR
MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE ™ TEAM
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team is the works team of Mercedes-Benz, competing at the pinnacle of motorsport – the FIA Formula One™ World Championship. Formula One™ is like nothing else in the sporting sphere. It’s a demanding technical and human challenge, combining cutting-edge technologies and innovation, high-performance management and elite teamwork. At Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, a group of passionate and determined people work to design, develop, manufacture and race the cars driven by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and young star George Russell. The team has set a new benchmark for F1™ success during the sport’s current Hybrid era, winning consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the Constructors’ Championship in 2021. During those title-winning seasons, the team has scored 111 wins, 232 podium finishes, 118 pole positions, 81 fastest laps and 53 one-two finishes from 160 race starts.
BONHAMS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, motor cars and a luxury division, including jewellery, watches, wine and whisky. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 53 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium- aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.
For more information, please visit iwc.com