I was in Schaffhausen when the press release crossed the wire, and the colour is the story. It is not a racing livery purple or a marketing purple; it is a saturated, almost velvety shade drawn from the Vanda Miss Joaquim, the orchid that serves as Singapore’s national flower. IWC says the choice is deliberate — resilience, boldness and innovation being traits the brand shares with its partner team. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were photographed wearing the watch (ref. IW388121) ahead of the night race, and on the wrist the dial reads far more dramatic than any render suggests.

Design: An Instrument Dial in PETRONAS Green and Purple

The case is grade 5 titanium, 41mm in diameter and 14.5mm tall, with a brushed finish that plays up the alloy’s silvery-grey lustre. Titanium is not random here: it is the material of connecting rods, valves and the Halo device that arches over the cockpit, and IWC has used it in every team chronograph since the 2022 Miami edition. The purple sunburst dial carries PETRONAS green numerals and indices, the same teal tone that wraps the team’s W16, and the black hands are filled with Super-LumiNova in that identical green. Against the vivid dial the effect is electric.

The subdials sit recessed with a snailed finish. The layout is IWC’s hallmark vertical arrangement — minutes at 12, hours and seconds below — a configuration that has defined Pilot’s chronographs for more than four decades. At 3 o’clock sits a combined day-date window; IWC uses a black disc with PETRONAS green digits, so even the calendar plays the team colours. Between the dial work and the caseback text, every component of this watch is a nod to Brackley.

Calibre 69385: The Engine Room

Under the hood is the IWC-manufactured calibre 69385, a column-wheel chronograph running at 28,800 vph with 46 hours of power reserve. The bidirectional pawl winding system keeps it topped up, and the hacking seconds make setting it to race time a precise affair. Through the sapphire caseback you can see circular graining, Geneva stripes, polished screws and an openworked rotor — and a printed PETRONAS green legend on the underside of the glass. Monochrome’s first look noted the movement’s finish is a cut above what you might expect at this price point.

The Fourth Team Watch — And a Growing Series

This is IWC’s fourth official team watch. The series began with the titanium Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 “Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team” (ref. IW388108) at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, followed by the Ceratanium-bodied Performance Chronograph 41 (ref. IW388306) at Las Vegas in 2023 and the slim Mark XX (ref. IW328210) at the start of 2025. Each generation has leaned further into performance materials — titanium, ceramic, Ceratanium — and this purple edition pushes the colour language further than any of its predecessors. The watch is also being worn trackside by mechanics and engineers, not just drivers, which says something about how IWC sees it: a tool, not a trophy.

The launch lands alongside a new Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS kit collection from adidas, the team’s official clothing partner, and the two releases share the same violet-and-teal palette. IWC’s partnership with the team dates to 2013, when it joined as Official Engineering Partner — this is year 14 — and the brand’s broader Mercedes-Benz connection goes back further still, as our earlier coverage of the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz shows.

On the Wrist and On the Strap

IWC pairs the watch with a purple rubber strap with a titanium pin buckle, and the EasX-CHANGE system means swapping it for a different strap takes a button-press rather than a trip to the boutique. On the wrist the 14.5mm thickness is noticeable but not clumsy; the weight, as you would expect from titanium, is a pleasant surprise. At CHF 7,700, the watch sits exactly where the recent Pilot’s chronographs live — above the steel three-handers and below the perpetual calendars — and it is not a limited edition, which is refreshing for an F1 tie-in. If you have ever wanted a chronograph that looks like it belongs in the pit lane but works like a flight instrument, this is the one. For collectors of the series, it also completes a useful study in how far the team-watch concept has travelled in four years.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Specifications

Images courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen. The pilot’s watch with a purple dial and PETRONAS green accents was unveiled on 27 August 2026 for the Singapore Grand Prix.

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IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz in Steel and Gold

IWC Schaffhausen has opened a new chapter in its long-running partnership with Mercedes-Benz. The two companies go back decades, and their collaborations have covered everything from Formula 1 special editions to road-car inspired dress watches. Now, to mark 140 years since the founding of the Stuttgart marque, IWC has released the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz, a 42mm steel limited edition that pairs the brand’s most approachable perpetual calendar technology with a black and gold presentation.

Only 140 pieces will be made, one for each year of Mercedes-Benz history, and the watch is priced at EUR 40,900 including VAT. That places it above the standard steel Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar ProSet introduced earlier in 2026, with the premium justified by the gold detailing on the dial and the anniversary exclusivity. The reference is IW3296-03.

What makes this release genuinely interesting is not the decoration, but the mechanism beneath it. The Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz carries IWC’s ProSet calendar system, a design that lets the wearer set every calendar indication through the crown alone. No hidden correctors, no stylus, no guesswork about which pusher does what. It is a meaningful step toward making the perpetual calendar a practical everyday complication rather than a collector’s curiosity, and it deserves a closer look.

Why the ProSet Calendar Matters

Traditional perpetual calendars are wonderful to look at and occasionally infuriating to adjust. Setting the date, day, month and moon phase usually means pressing tiny correctors recessed into the case band, often with a dedicated tool, and always with a printed guide to hand. IWC’s ProSet system removes that friction entirely. All calendar functions are set through a single crown position, and the mechanism can be adjusted both forwards and backwards, which matters when a watch has sat unwound for a few weeks and the calendar needs to be pulled back to the correct day.

The system works through a stacked program wheel that centralises the calendar information. The assembly contains roughly twenty parts, including a leap year wheel with retractable fingers that handles the irregular length of February. Because the mechanism is entirely gear based, there are no fragile levers to snap and no springs to lose. The calibre 82665 used here is the Big Pilot version of the ProSet architecture that IWC introduced in the calibre 82655.

Precision is part of the package too. The moon phase display, shown through a Double Moon aperture at 12 o’clock that tracks both hemispheres, is accurate to a single day of error in 1,040 years. The date, day, month and a four digit yea

r window complete the calendar layout, with the year reading between 7 and 8 o’clock in typical Big Pilot fashion.

Design and Dial

The case is stainless steel, brushed across the sides with a polished bezel, and it houses the oversized diamond shaped crown that has identified the Big Pilot since the 1940s. With the ProSet mechanism, that crown does more work than any previous Big Pilot crown, which feels appropriate for a watch designed around practicality.

The dial is glossy black with a sunburst finish, and the applied hour markers are solid gold while the hands are gold plated. Both carry Super-LumiNova for night legibility. The gold on black combination is a deliberate nod to the luxury end of the Mercedes-Benz range, closer in spirit to a Maybach interior than to the racing liveries of the AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 team. Four recessed subdials hold the calendar indications, and the layout is immediately recognisable as a modern IWC perpetual calendar.

Water resistance is rated to 100 metres, unusually generous for a perpetual calendar and a reminder that this is a pilot’s watch first. The sapphire caseback reveals the movement and carries an engraving of the historic joint emblem adopted after t

he 1926 merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie, a subtle but fitting anniversary touch. The watch is delivered on a black rubber strap with a folding clasp and IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system, so the strap can be swapped without tools.

Inside the Calibre 82665

Power comes from the IWC manufacture calibre 82665, an automatic movement beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It uses IWC’s Pellaton winding system, the bidirectional mechanism that converts the rotor’s motion in both directions into winding energy through a pawl and ratchet arrangement, and the components are ceramic coated to resist wear. The stated power reserve is approximately 60 hours, enough to cover a long weekend off the wrist.

The Pellaton system has been a house signature since the 1950s, when Albert Pellaton designed it for IWC’s pocket watch movements. Its efficiency is one reason IWC automatics have such a robust reputation, and it pairs naturally with a calendar that the wearer can reset quickly after the reserve runs down. For a fuller picture of how rotors feed automatic movements, our guide to the automatic watch rotor covers the fundamentals, while our explainer on power reserve looks at what those 60 hours actually mean in daily use.

Specifications

Positioning and Context

The 140 Years Mercedes-Benz edition joins a small ProSet family that already includes the steel and red gold Big Pilot references launched earlier this year, together with the Le Petit Prince version. Those watches established the crown set architecture, and this anniversary edition extends the family into a more decorative register while keeping the same 42mm platform. For anyone weighing a modern perpetual calendar, the ProSet system is the easiest entry point in IWC’s catalogue, and the black and gold treatment gives this particular run a distinct identity that the standard models do not share.

It also reinforces how far the perpetual calendar has travelled from its origins as a showcase complication. A complication that once required a jeweller’s visit to adjust is now a crown turn away, and IWC deserves credit for pushing that idea into its most iconic collection. Our history of IWC Schaffhausen traces how the brand arrived at this point, and our overview of watch complications explains where the perpetual calendar sits in the wider horological landscape.

The IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz is available from IWC boutiques and authorised retailers, and given the 140 piece run, allocation is likely to be swift. It is an anniversary watch with a genuine mechanical story, and that combination is rarer than it should be.

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From its bold American roots to its mastery of complex complications, IWC stands as a testament to the fusion of tradition and forward-thinking design. This article delves into the brand’s captivating history, exploring its origins, pivotal moments, inaugural creations, and the diverse collections that have defined its legacy.

Whether you are a collector or simply an admirer of fine craftsmanship, the story of IWC reveals why these watches continue to captivate enthusiasts around the globe.

The Founding of IWC Schaffhausen

The tale of IWC Schaffhausen begins across the Atlantic, in the bustling industrial landscape of mid-19th century America. Florentine Ariosto Jones, a visionary engineer and watchmaker born in 1841, had risen through the ranks at the esteemed E. Howard Watch and Clock Company in Boston.

By his late twenties, Jones harbored an ambitious dream: to produce high-quality watches that could compete with the finest European offerings, but at a fraction of the cost. He recognized that Switzerland’s abundant skilled labor and hydroelectric power could revolutionize production, allowing for efficient assembly of American-style movements.

In 1868, at the age of 27, Jones crossed the ocean and settled in Schaffhausen, a northern Swiss town far from the traditional watchmaking hubs of Geneva and the Jura valleys. This location was no accident. Schaffhausen, with its Rhine Falls providing reliable hydropower, had already begun industrializing thanks to local entrepreneur Heinrich Moser.

Moser, who had built the region’s first hydroelectric plant, met Jones in Le Locle and championed his cause. The duo envisioned a factory where Swiss artisans could craft components for watches targeted at the American market, bypassing the cottage-industry model prevalent in the west.

Jones founded the International Watch Company that same year, renting premises in an industrial building owned by J.H. Moser on Rheinstrasse. The operation started modestly, employing local workers to produce pocket watches with standardized, interchangeable parts inspired by American manufacturing techniques.

By 1869, the factory had expanded into additional rooms in the historic Oberhaus building. Jones’s business plan emphasized quality control and mechanization, but challenges soon mounted. U.S. tariffs on imported watches, financing woes, and teething issues with new machinery strained resources.

Undeterred, Jones pushed forward. In 1874, he acquired land for a purpose-built factory from Moser’s hydroelectric firm. Designed by local architect G. Meyer, the 45-meter-long facility opened in spring 1875, boasting space for up to 300 workers. It symbolized IWC’s commitment to industrial-scale production in a craft-dominated industry. Yet, prosperity proved elusive.

By late 1875, mounting debts led to bankruptcy, and Jones was ousted by shareholders who accused him of mismanagement. Despite this setback, his vision laid the groundwork for what would become a horological dynasty. Jones returned to the U.S., but his legacy endured in Schaffhausen’s watchmaking heritage.

The company’s salvation came in 1880 when Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel, a wealthy Schaffhausen industrialist and stockholder, acquired IWC for 280,000 francs. Rauschenbach, a machine manufacturer, saw potential in the fledgling brand. Tragically, he passed away just a year later, leaving his 25-year-old son, Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk, to steer the ship.

Under young Rauschenbach’s steady hand, IWC flourished, exporting watches to Europe, the Americas, and beyond. This era marked the brand’s transition from American import venture to a distinctly Swiss entity, rooted in Schaffhausen’s industrial ethos.

Key Milestones in IWC’s Journey

IWC’s history unfolds like a well-tuned movement, marked by resilience, innovation, and adaptation to global upheavals. Following the Rauschenbach acquisition, the company navigated economic booms and busts with aplomb. In 1883, Urs Haenggi joined as a key executive, streamlining operations and forging vital trade links. His 52-year tenure safeguarded IWC from hostile takeovers, preserving its independence under the Rauschenbach family for four generations.

The turn of the century brought electrification to the factory, courtesy of a powerline installed in 1888 and powered by a Brown Boveri motor. This modernization boosted efficiency, allowing IWC to convert production machines to electric drive by the 1930s. Socially progressive, the Rauschenbachs established employee welfare funds, including housing and support for widows and orphans, evolving into the J. Rauschenbach Foundation in 1929.

World War I tested the brand’s mettle, but it was the interwar years that ignited true innovation. After Johannes Rauschenbach-Schenk’s death in 1905, his heirs, including Ernst Jakob Homberger, assumed control. Homberger, an industrialist married into the family, became sole proprietor in 1929 amid the Great Depression. His leadership weathered the storm, earning him an honorary doctorate from the University of St. Gallen in 1952.

The 1930s saw IWC enter the aviation realm, producing precision B-Uhren for the German Luftwaffe alongside brands like Stowa and Laco. These cockpit instruments honed the brand’s expertise in legible, durable designs. World War II brought peril: On April 1, 1944, U.S. bombers struck Schaffhausen in a navigational error, with a dud bomb piercing IWC’s roof. The company’s fire brigade heroically contained the damage, allowing production to resume swiftly.

Postwar reconstruction under Homberger’s son, Hans Ernst Homberger, who took reins in 1955, emphasized expansion. A new factory wing opened in 1957, and a pension fund modernized employee benefits. The quartz crisis of the 1970s loomed large, slashing mechanical watch demand. IWC responded boldly, co-founding the Centre Électronique Horloger in Neuchâtel and contributing to the Beta 21 quartz movement unveiled in 1969. Yet, the brand doubled down on mechanical mastery, launching complications that redefined luxury.

In 1978, facing capital needs, IWC sold a majority stake to VDO Adolf Schindling AG, reverting to its original name. Günter Blümlein’s arrival as director in the early 1980s injected vitality. He stabilized finances, amplified marketing, and spearheaded the 1990 launch of the world’s first wristwatch Grande Complication, featuring a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and chronograph. Blümlein founded the LMH Group in 1991, acquiring stakes in Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne.

The millennium ushered in the Richemont era. In 2000, Richemont bought LMH for CHF 2.8 billion, fueling growth while preserving autonomy. Innovations accelerated: the Calibre 5000 with a seven-day power reserve in 2000, Ceratanium material in 2017, and the Sidérale Scafusia astronomical masterpiece in 2011. The 150th anniversary in 2018 celebrated with a Tribute to Pallweber edition, honoring digital roots. Today, under CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, IWC thrives, blending heritage with cutting-edge tech like the 2023 Ingenieur Automatic 40.

These milestones underscore IWC’s adaptability, from wartime survival to quartz defiance, cementing its status as a pillar of haute horlogerie.

The First Watches from IWC

Tracing IWC’s inaugural timepieces reveals a brand unafraid to challenge conventions. While pocket watches dominated early production, the first notable innovation arrived in 1885: the Pallweber, a digital-display pocket watch based on an Austrian patent. This mechanical marvel used rotating discs for hours and minutes, a precursor to modern digital aesthetics. Though it never supplanted analog dials, it showcased IWC’s inventive streak under technical director Johann Vogel, who crafted calibers until 1919.

Wristwatches emerged later, driven by military and civilian demands. Records indicate IWC’s debut wristwatch in 1899, powered by the Calibre 64, a reliable manual-wind movement. These early models, often cased in waterproof Borgel designs, catered to officers and adventurers, prioritizing legibility and robustness.

The 1910s refined this path. In 1915, IWC unveiled its first purpose-built wristwatch calibers: the Calibre 75 (sans seconds) and Calibre 76 (with small seconds subdial). These slim, elegant pieces marked a shift from pocket conversions to dedicated designs. By 1931, rectangular tonneau-shaped watches with the Calibre 87 added Art Deco flair.

Aviation propelled IWC forward. In 1936, the brand launched its inaugural “Special Pilot’s Watch,” featuring a rotating bezel with an arrowhead index for timing takeoffs and an antimagnetic escapement. This 36mm stainless steel icon, water-resistant and luminous, laid the foundation for the Pilot’s Watches family. It responded to Luftwaffe needs, evolving into the massive 52 T.S.C. Big Pilot’s Watch in 1940, with a central seconds hand and 55mm case for cockpit readability.

The Portugieser debuted in 1939, born from Portuguese merchants’ orders for oversized wristwatches housing high-precision pocket calibers. Measuring 42mm, it boasted the Calibre 74 manual wind, blending maritime utility with sophisticated aesthetics. These pioneers not only survived economic turmoil but also established IWC’s reputation for functional beauty, influencing generations of collectors.

Evolution of IWC Watch Collections

IWC’s collections represent a tapestry of innovation, each line evolving from historical imperatives to modern marvels. At the core lies the Pilot’s Watches family, born in 1936 and refined through wartime precision. The 1940 Big Pilot’s Watch set a scale benchmark, revived in 2002 with the Calibre 51110’s seven-day reserve. Today, it includes chronographs, perpetual calendars, and limited editions like the 2009 Saint-Exupéry homage, featuring rose gold and charity auctions. Anti-magnetic soft-iron cages and sapphire cases ensure pilot-grade toughness.

The Portugieser, introduced in 1939, embodies nautical grandeur. Its reissue in 1993 sparked a renaissance, with the 2003 Perpetual Calendar adding Kurt Klaus’s ingenious module for leap years and moon phases. The 2010 Yacht Club Chronograph introduced rubber straps for yachting, while the 2020 edition with Calibre 69 reveals an open caseback. Tourbillons and constant-force mechanisms, like the 94800 in the 150th anniversary piece, elevate it to complication royalty.

Ingenieur watches, launched in 1955, prioritize anti-magnetism for engineers and scientists. The original automatic featured a simple round dial; Gerald Genta’s 1976 SL redesign added rubber shock absorbers and 80,000 A/m protection. The 2011 Double Chronograph Titanium boasted split-seconds and ergonomic lines. The 2023 Automatic 40, in four vibrant colors, nods to Genta’s influence with integrated bracelets and Calibre 32111.

Aquatimer divers arrived in 1967, rated to 20 bar for professionals. The 2014 generation innovated with a ratcheting internal bezel operable externally, plus a mechanical depth gauge and 200-bar resistance in models like the Deep 200. Bronze cases and Ceratanium bezels highlight material mastery.

Da Vinci, debuting in 1985 with the world’s slimmest perpetual calendar, fused Renaissance inspiration with tech. The 1969 quartz Beta 21 version paved the way for mechanical evolutions, including the 2010 Chronograph Ceramic with titanium and three-dimensional rings.

Portofino, reimagined in 2011, channels Italian Riviera elegance. The Hand-Wound Eight Days with Calibre 59210 offers classic lines and a seven-day reserve, perfect for understated luxury.

Across these lines, IWC pioneered titanium in the 1980s, ceramics in 2019, and in-house calibers like the 89000 family with Pellaton winding. From aviation tools to astronomical wonders, the collections reflect a brand that honors its past while charting bold futures.

In reflecting on IWC Schaffhausen’s odyssey, one sees a narrative of unyielding pursuit: from Jones’s transatlantic gamble to Richemont’s global stage. Each tick of an IWC watch whispers stories of resilience and ingenuity, inviting wearers to join a legacy that transcends time. As the brand looks to tomorrow, its Schaffhausen heart beats stronger, crafting not just watches, but chapters in horological history.

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