Earlier today, IWC unveiled the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton, the brand’s third exclusive watch collaboration with seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The working partnership, which began in 2013, has evolved into a remarkable journey of horological exploration.
And, in an exclusive interview with WatchPro following qualifying sessions for this year’s Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton shared his insights into the new watch and his personal passion for precision timekeeping
“I’ve always loved watches. My first was a Mickey Mouse watch from Disneyland when I was six years old,” he says.
“As I grew up I started noticing adults wearing timepieces and then I began seeing them in music videos, and for me they became the ultimate accessory. But I never thought that I would get to work with a brand like IWC.”
After signing with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team in 2013, Hamilton’s infectious curiosity led to the creation of his inaugural watch with the Swiss brand.
“The first thing I did was to ask, ‘Can I do my own watch?’,” he remembers. “It was at such an early phase in our relationship so, we did make a watch but, due to development time, there wasn’t a lot we could do to put my stamp on it.”
However, Hamilton had caught the bug and the desire to go deeper into the world of watchmaking, and to understand the craftsmanship behind these intricate timepieces, led him to visit the IWC manufacture in Schaffhausen. “I went and spent time at the manufacture and I got to see the making process,” he explains. “I love collaborating with people, and getting to work with the watch designers and see some of the things that they had already created was amazing.
“Each time we have collaborated, we have gone a little bit deeper. I don’t think IWC had worked like this with an ambassador before, so it was really a case of testing the water each time, kind of taking an extra step further into the unknown. The dream is to one day have a piece that I have been fully a part of designing.”
The first two watches – the Ingenieur Chronograph Edition Lewis Hamilton Ref. IW379602 that launched in an edition of 250 in 2014, and the 100-piece Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Lewis Hamilton Ref. IW503002 from 2019 – showed a natural progression in terms of personal style and function.
And the new Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph is testament to the decade-long convergence of Hamilton’s vision and IWC’s masterful craftsmanship.
As well as something technical and complex, with this latest collaboration Hamilton aimed to create a watch that matched the elegance of the high-profile fashion events that he increasingly attends. “With this new one, I was thinking about all these beautiful events that I go to, like the Met Ball, and I wanted the watch to be extra special to match occasions as unique as these.”
The result of this creative journey is a watch that exudes luxury and precision and seems to reflect Hamilton’s personality. Due to the technical complexities and precious materials, the watch will be made in a limited edition of 44 pieces, its CHF150,000 price tag (it is only priced in Swiss francs) reflecting this.
“Since I was eight years old, 44 has been my race number and I think making the watch very exclusive this time round just made it extra special,” Hamilton says explaining the edition number.
The timepiece boasts a platinum case measuring 43.5 millimetres in diameter, framing an opulent teal dial adorned with 12 dazzling diamonds, as well as Hamilton’s logo consisting of a stylised winged figure forming the letter ‘V’, representing victory.
The embodiment of precision, the face features slightly recessed subdials for the chronograph totaliser and the retrograde date, resulting in a strong, sculptural finish.
“I wanted to use platinum because it is as high as you can go in terms of material. And the diamonds on the dial were something else that I love,” Hamilton says.
“Diamonds should not be just for women’s watches and I think they really help elevate the look. And so, I persuaded IWC to put the stones on – I think they were a little bit nervous about it, but I think the result is great.”
One of the dial’s most captivating features is the flying hacking minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Beyond its mesmerising aesthetic, the tourbillon serves as a perpetual, dial-side reminder of the watchmaker’s constant quest for absolute precision – and is symbolic of the race driver’s pursuit of the same.
The integrated hacking feature allows the wearer to halt the mechanism, enabling time setting down to the second. Comprising 56 individual components and weighing a mere 0.675 grams, every element of the tourbillon is designed for accuracy and function.
Hamilton’s admiration for the complexity of the component led to his desire to include it in the watch. “I have been fascinated by the tourbillon since I first saw it at Schaffhausen in 2014,” he says. “I was like ‘what is that?’. And they explained it and showed me the movement. It was so special.”
As a Formula One driver, Hamilton understands the significance of timing precision in both racing and watchmaking. “I always want everything to be perfect and, as a driver, I am chasing precision. And the smallest changes can make the biggest difference.
“We alter the height of the car by one millimetre and you can feel it on the track, but it’s such a small amount and people can’t understand it. Even for me today, it is crazy that a millimetre or even half a millimetre on the front right can make a difference to a lap time.
“When you watch a car being pulled together by a team of skilled engineers and a watch with 500 components, all individually hand-crafted, being assembled, it is so similar. On the track, I am constantly chasing the clock for that 1,000th of a second and IWC is for sure the most aligned partnership that Team Mercedes can have because time is everything for us. For these reasons, I wanted the most accurate watch that I could have.”
The elegance that is so important to Hamilton, continues into the IWC-manufactured Calibre 89900, a chronograph movement that enables elapsed hours and minutes to be displayed on a single counter at 12 o’clock, ensuring ease of use and an uncluttered dial layout.
Both the pallet lever and escape are made in silicon and are coated with a layer of diamonds. Known as Diamond Shell technology, this significantly reduces friction within the movement, enhancing the energy flow and contributing to the substantial power reserve of 68 hours. Other components, including the bridges, are gold-plated – a nod to the legendary Il Destriero Scafusia from 1993 – and can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback.
But above the glitz and glamour, when Hamilton talks about IWC, it is obvious that the partnership goes way beyond a simple sponsorship. It is, he stresses, about shared values and making an impact. “It doesn’t fill my spirit or energise me to work with any brand as a pure transaction,” he says. “I just don’t feel excited about that at all. When I work with a brand, I need to know what their values are and that they are aligned with mine, which they are with IWC.
“I need to know that they are always chasing to be better and that they are open-minded to change and open to collaborating because I want to learn from the experience and be able to ask questions. I want to work with the specialists and pull things out of myself that I didn’t know I was capable of doing.
“Who would ever have thought that I would have a watch that looks this good? And then on top of that sitting down and really building that partnership and looking at the impact. I remember speaking to Chris [Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC] and talking about inclusivity and how we can be more open and more inclusive moving forward when we do events.
“He was so, so open and we are pushing forward with it. We did a great event in Miami this year where we brought a bunch of kids from the community there who would never normally be invited to an event like that.
“So, yes, I am very much an IWC man and I am so grateful for the partnership and I’ve been dying to just have this watch so I can just wear it to the track.”
As Hamilton’s journey with IWC continues, he envisions a future where he takes an even more hands-on approach to watch design: “Since I was a kid I have always taken things apart – the microwave or the washing machine. My mum would go crazy – especially when I couldn’t put the doors back on.
“I think I got it from my dad. He was a mechanic and I would watch him take a car apart and put it back together and I always wanted to be like him in that respect. Something I would love to do with him is find a car and for both of us to strip it down and rebuild it. I don’t know when we are going to get the time as I have just signed for another two years so it will have to wait for a little bit longer.”
And these building ambitions continue into the horological world. When I ask if he has had the chance to tear down and rebuild a watch movement, Hamilton smiles. “I don’t know how decent I will be at it but I would love that opportunity. It’s something I want to do when I have more time on my hands.
“I’m definitely interested in what’s happening out there and how the watch market is evolving. I’ve got a nice little collection and I would love to design more. I don’t know what we will do next. I would actually like to have my own range. Not just in watches – I want to have an “L class” for Mercedes. There’s a lot of different projects we have going, so we’ll see.”
One current project that combines Hamilton’s passion for storytelling and creation is his venture into film production. Known among his friends for his love of movies and as a man who constantly references film moments, he says of his Dawn Apollo Films company:
“I’ve spent the past six or seven years realising that I can’t race forever. And I’ve spoken to a lot of athletes who have focused so much on their sport, that they’re not prepared for what comes after. It’s usually a big shock.
“Every athlete misses what they’ve been doing their whole life – and racing IS my life, but there will be a time when it isn’t, so I was trying to discover things that I’m passionate about. I think storytelling is so important and we need more positive stories out there.
“I want to create something, so I started the production company and with the first movie I went in high casting Brad Pitt. I don’t know where we go from here but I’m reading scripts and working with amazing people. The whole thing is very surreal and something I’m crazy excited about.”
This passion and enthusiasm is something that runs through everything Hamilton does and his enduring journey with IWC is a testament to the power of collaboration, precision and a relentless pursuit of excellence – both on and off the racetrack.
This latest collaboration symbolises the fusion of artistry, craftsmanship, and passion and celebrates the precision that unites the realms of motorsport and horology. With each beat of the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton, we are reminded that the pursuit of excellence is an ongoing journey – an odyssey that Lewis Hamilton and IWC Schaffhausen wholeheartedly embrace together.
