Ever since he became a Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton formed a partnership with IWC Schaffhausen watches, giving way to some iconic collaborations between the two. With Hamilton’s decision to switch teams at the end of the 2024 season, his partnership with IWC will also come to an end. Addressing the same, the official page of IWC Schaffhausen on Instagram recently posted an update, thanking Hamilton for his ambassadorship.
In the last 11 years, Hamilton paired up with IWC Schaffhausen thrice to introduce special collaborations between them. The first of them was an IWC Black Lives Matter Ceratanium watch, followed by the IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Watch. By far, the most expensive watch of the collab came when IWC unveiled a Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph worth $175,000, which Hamilton wouldn’t be able to sport anymore after moving to Ferrari.
View this post on Instagram
One of Ferrari‘s title sponsors is the luxury watch brand Richard Mille, which is known for its bold approach to watches. The switch will see Hamilton depart from sporting sleek-looking watches to something much more ‘avant-garde.’
Despite Hamilton playing an important role in the collaborations with IWC, he won’t be able to sport his watches in the paddock, owing to the strict agreement between a team and their sponsor.
Lewis Hamilton felt he co-created the next great watch
Hamilton and IWC partnered up with each other for over a decade and co-created arguably their finest watch just last year, in the form of an IWC Portugeiser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph worth $175,000, which was also Hamilton’s dream watch. The 39-year-old was a critical part of the entire process, and the watch’s color tone and some specific elements denote his involvement in the same.
View this post on Instagram
For starters, the iconic teal color of the watch came because of Hamilton, as he wanted the watch to look different and vibrant. The Tourbillon is one of Hamilton’s favorite watch complications, and even the platinum casing was the future Ferrari driver’s choice.
The fashion-forward side of Hamilton also resonates within the watch, with 12 diamonds featured on the dial alongside each hour mark. Adding diamonds to watches is something IWC never does, especially in men’s watches. Owing to all of these elements, Hamilton told GQ he believes he made the “next great watch.”
