Mercedes finally won its first F1 Grand Prix race since Brazil 2022 last weekend in Austria, thanks to George Russell. The Briton capitalized on a late-race collision between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to take the lead and the win, and Team Principal Toto Wolff celebrated this iconic moment in style.
Austria was Russell’s second-ever F1 win with his first coming in Brazil two years ago and it also makes Mercedes the most successful team in Spielberg, having won an unprecedented seven times in Red Bull’s backyard.
Celebrations were also rampant within the Brackley-based outfit. As per a post on LinkedIn by IWC’s Associate Director of Corporate Communications Riccardo Soliani Brivio, Wolff can be seen flaunting a $78,500 watch in the team picture.
Brivio revealed,” The Team Principal was seen wearing the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team” reference IW503607.”
The IWC spokesperson dubbed the watch as a tribute to a long-standing friendship between the two entities. Mercedes has been sponsored by the Swiss luxury watchmakers for a decade and Russell’s victory was a testament to the hard work put in by all the members of the team and their partners and associates.
IWC’s longstanding partnership with Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
Watchmakers and F1 teams have always shared a platform at the pinnacle of motor racing and IWC has seen themselves emerge as dynasty leaders with Mercedes winning eight consecutive Constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021.
Lewis Hamilton has been a big influence on these victories. The seven-time world champion has won six driver’s titles during that period and has led them to each of the team’s Constructors’ titles. Naturally, IWC also collaborated with the Briton to release a special edition of the Big Pilot watch.
What a six-time Formula 1 world champion’s wristwatch looks like. #LewisHamilton has finally been blessed with his very own #IWC Schaffhausen mechanical, named ‘Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Lewis Hamilton’. It features a bordeaux-coloured dial and hints of gold. pic.twitter.com/Bu68CrASoA
— MANIFESTO Magazine (@ManifestoAsia) November 28, 2019
Back in 2019, the Swiss watchmakers released the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ‘Lewis Hamilton’ Edition IW503002 and this edition was limited to only 100 pieces worldwide with a retail price of around $56,500, as per IFL Watches.
