BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division just unveiled their most advanced, absurdly complicated, and powerful hypercar yet. The Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar will be the first to bring the most advanced and efficient Formula 1™ hybrid technology to the street. This hypercar for the road has a top speed of over 350 km/h and horsepower output of over 1,000. It’s powered by a hybrid 1.6-liter turbo V6 also seen in the 2016 Mercedes F1 W07.
Wait, this isn’t really a watch introduction, is it? To get right to the point, IWC Schaffhausen has collaborated with Mercedes-AMG to design a Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “AMG ONE OWNERS” (Ref. IW590502) of the Big Pilot’s Watch that will be restricted to future owners of the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar. The Constant-Force Tourbillon, which we’ll get to in a minute, is IWC Schaffhausen’s most advanced movement yet.
The sizable 46.2 mm x 13.5 mm case, water-resistant to 60 meters (200 ft), is based on the traditional Big Pilot design and is constructed of titanium aluminide (TiAl). When we analyze TiAl’s commercial applications in the aerospace and automotive industries, we can see how beneficial it is. TiAl is also more lightweight, harder, corrosion resistant, and biocompatible than ordinary titanium.
The constant-force tourbillon is prominent on the dial at 9 o’clock. The black dial with large rhodium-plated hands and applied markers also has a double moon phase indicator for the northern and southern hemispheres, as well as a power reserve indication at 4 o’clock. A Ceratanium case back ring with commemorative engravings that symbolize IWC and Mercedes AMG’s collaborative relations, as well as a ring-shaped construction on the dial’s outer periphery, resembles the air inlets that dominate the front of the Mercedes-AMG ONE. Details in Petronas green, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team’s signature color, are also used in the design.
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “AMG ONE OWNERS” is powered by an in-house calibre 94800, a hand-wound movement with a one-minute tourbillon enclosed in a constant-force device. The mechanism is visible via a sapphire crystal on the back of the watch. The watch has a two-tone rubber strap, made using a multi-component injection molding method, black on the outside and green on the inside, with many Mercedes stars in Petronas green visible on the outside. The Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “AMG ONE OWNERS” will be offered only to future Mercedes-AMG ONE owners for an undisclosed price.
Visit IWC here.
