BY JOVAN K
IWC is no stranger to spicing up their legendary pilot watches, but their newest collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team throws the usual design rulebook right out the window. Landing right ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, reference IW388121 marks the fourth official team watch rolled out under the brand’s banner as the team’s Official Engineering Partner.
The 41mm x 14.5mm case is constructed from lightweight Grade 5 titanium, bringing high tensile strength and heat resistance without weighing down your wrist. It offers a solid, athletic footprint with full brushed finishing across the surfaces. Top it off with a screw-in crown, anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal, and 100 meters of water resistance, and you have a watch ready for trackside chaos.
The deep purple dial gets its inspiration from the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, Singapore’s national flower. Signature Petronas green numerals and markers pop out against the eye-catching background, with black hands packed with matching lume so you can read it in the dark. Over at 3 o’clock, you’ve got the clean day-date display balancing out that classic vertical sub-dial setup, a layout that’s been pure IWC pilot DNA for decades.
Flipping the watch over reveals the in-house Calibre 69385 through a display sapphire caseback. This automatic column-wheel chronograph operates at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) and incorporates a bidirectional pawl-winding mechanism to maintain a 46-hour power reserve. Decorated with traditional Cotes de Genève and circular graining, it offers precise mechanical feedback when hitting the chronograph pushers.
The watch comes paired with an integrated purple rubber strap and a lightweight titanium buckle, featuring the brand’s handy EasX-CHANGE system so you can swap straps witin seconds.
If you’re looking to pick up the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, it comes in at at $9,200/€9,700.
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