IWC Unveils Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
As the world of motorsport prepares for the 2025 Formula One season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 14-16 March, IWC Schaffhausen unveils the Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Limited to 100 pieces, this edition is already the second timepiece the Swiss manufacture has dedicated to its giant motorsport partner this year, coming after the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team announced in January. Equipped with the manufacture's "SPRIN-g PROTECT" shock absorber system and a technical design inspired by the team’s black and Petronas green color scheme, the time-only watch is a tribute to the team's CEO and principal Toto Wolff, who has been spotted wearing a prototype of it.
The patented shock absorber system that protects movements agains forces from accelerations in excess of 30,000 g was developed by IWC’s engineering division XPL and first introduced with the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL (Ref. IW357201) in 2021. It is based on a cantilever spring that cushions the movement inside the case. If the watch suffers an impact on the case, the movement and the case typically are subjected to high g-forces. The spring absorbs a large portion of these forces before they can reach the movement.
Designed with a special form allowing it to evenly spread the stress across its length and width, the spring is manufactured from a bulk metallic glass (BMG). Thanks to a complex manufacturing process, this advanced material is significantly more elastic than conventional crystalline metals.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team features a 44 x 12.6 mm case and crown made of Ceratanium. Developed by IWC, this advanced material combines the lightness and robustness of titanium with a hardness similar to ceramic.
The black dial features a grainy technical structure, which is stamped into the brass base with a special tool. It is furnished with newly designed triangular black hands coated with Superluminova around their edges. The outer ring with the minute scale appears to be floating freely on lamellae attached around the dial.
Under the hood ticks the self-winding manufacture calibre 32101, which runs at a 4Hz frequency and has an impressive power reserve of 120 hours in the tank. The movement is beautifully finished in black, reflecting the aesthetics of the grained dial. A sapphire back adorned with Toto Wolff’s signature brings its details to life.
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is attached to a Petronas green rubber strap and comes with an additional black rubber/textile strap.
Pricing is marked at $102,000.
To learn more, visit IWC, here.
