Cure for the Winter Blues: IWC Drops Two New Pilot’s Watches with F1 Driver George Russell

Although IWC has been teaming up with Formula 1 for over 20 years, the brand made its F1 connection official in 2013 when it became the “Official Engineering Partner” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Aside from branding on the cars, driver uniforms, and gloves, the duo has co-created several special edition watches over the past decade. Today, we get the next installment.

This time, IWC has tapped one of the rising stars on the F1 circuit and brand ambassador George Russell to collaborate on the latest pair of racing-inspired timepieces.

George Russell first became an official IWC ambassador in 2022, which was the same year he joined the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. However, Russell was a fan of the watchmaker long before the partnership began. At the young age of 17, the British driver discovered IWC and a budding love for watches. He purchased his first model, and he has been devoted to the brand ever since. Joining the IWC-sponsored team was a full-circle moment.
 

Now, we imagine Russell’s dreams are coming true – co-creating a pair of watches with a brand he has long adored. The young driver clearly has distinct tastes and a proclivity for sentimentality, from his devotion to the IWC brand to his love of blue and the number 63.

Throughout his career, blue has had a significant meaning for Russell. After initially racing for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team with a black helmet, he soon reverted to the blue-dominant design that has long served as the foundation of his own, personal, racing brand. Standing apart on the F1 grid, this particular shade of blue has become uniquely associated with Russell.
 

This specific hue, which is also used for Russell’s current helmet, is central to these special editions, as both feature dial details and rubber straps in Russell’s signature blue color. Let’s dig in deeper to all the special details in these new models.

Here, you have two limited edition Pilot’s Watches – a chronograph and an automatic model – that build on staples in IWC’s catalog (the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 and Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 to be exact).
 

While 41mm is still considered a relatively large case proportion, this pair marks a sweet spot in sizing for IWC. The brand’s modestly sized, 39mm pilot watches of the 1990s arguably put them on the map, but in the new millennium, they followed the trend of oversized proportions until the 41mm versions hit the scene a few years ago.

Both George Russell models reprise these proportions, with a build crafted from black zirconium oxide ceramic, a material IWC pioneered four decades ago. The sleek black look extends from the cases’ unique material to the dials. However, Russell’s signature blue is the subtle star of the show, with each of the dial markings and the luminescence filling the hands rendered in the same striking shade seen on Russell’s helmet.
 

Both watches feature titanium casebacks with distinct engravings of the number 63. Like the color blue, the number 63 has been Russell’s starting number since he was a child winning karting championships all the way through to his Formula One career. This serves as yet another emblem of the young driver’s loyalty and sentimentality.

The chronograph version is powered by the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre, which has a power reserve of 46 hours. Alternatively, the automatic model features the IWC-manufactured 32112 calibre, which includes a double-pawl winding system that provides an impressive 120-hour power reserve.
 

Topping them off, both watches come with durable rubber straps fitted with IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system. Here, Russell’s trademark blue color takes its boldest form, perfectly complementing the dial accents and making the watch a distinct reflection of the driver.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 George Russell (Ref. IW389411) and the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 George Russell (Ref. IW328107) are each fittingly produced in limited runs of 1063 pieces as a nod to the driver’s starting number, 63. The Chronograph is priced at $12,900 USD, while the Automatic retails for $8,900 USD.

For more information, including pricing, check out the IWC website.