Sameera Gamage 
Formula 1 meets fine watchmaking in IWC’s latest adrenaline-charged release. From Ceratanium cases to tourbillon-loaded movements, this one’s built for the fast lane. Precision, performance, and a whole lot of presence—how I like it.
Formula One has been quite the hype recently, and rightly so, with Oscar Piastri taking a number of Podium wins already, putting Australia back on the map in the high-octane sport. We also have a Formula One-inspired movie featuring Brad Pitt, which is set to be released later this year. IWC Schaffhausen has a special place in this movie, not only for being one of the main sponsors of the fictional APXGP racing team in the movie, but also for being the main “watch” on Brad Pitt’s wrist. And what a beautiful piece that is too, a stunning green dial Ingenieur in steel.
While the Ingenieur was one of the standout releases for me from the IWC Schaffhausen, especially the new 35mm in 18k 5n gold, the dark horse is the new range of Pilot timepieces. IWC Schaffhausen’s Pilot collection is a cornerstone of the brand’s identity, combining aviation heritage with a legibility-focused design. Introduced in the 1930s, the collection was originally built for professional pilots, as the timepieces featured oversized crowns, anti-magnetic protection and highly legible dials. Over time, however, IWC Schaffhausen’s Pilot collection has evolved beyond its aviation roots, embracing broader inspirations. This includes the world of motorsports, which, most recently, has drawn creative influence from the latest Formula 1 movie.
Since 2013, IWC Schaffhausen has been the “Official Engineering Partner” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula OneTM Team. For more than a decade, IWC Schaffhausen has gained vital knowledge by being part of this dynamic sport, creating numerous engineering innovations in the process. After all, Formula 1 has always been about maximum speed, performance and excellence, combined with cutting-edge engineering and advanced materials.
“F1 The Movie” is a unique and ambitious film project in every respect, taking cinematic engineering to a new level. This makes it a perfect match for IWC. After all, as a watchmaker, we apply engineering and continuous improvement to everything we do.”
IWC Schaffhausen on latest F1 movie.
Inspired by the dynamic world of Formula 1 and its high acceleration forces, the engineers at IWC Schaffhausen have pushed the limits of movement shock absorption. For the first time in watchmaking, IWC Schaffhausen has integrated its SPRIN-g PROTECT system with the tourbillon complication. The brand states that “In gruelling impact tests, the ‘queen of complications’ withstood acceleration forces of up to an incredible 10,000 g.”
Diving deeper into the technical side of things, as we know, the tourbillon was developed to negate the effects of gravity on the movement. A highly complex mechanism, the tourbillon rotates around its axis once a minute, reducing the effects of gravity on the timepiece’s balance wheel and escapement. By doing so, the tourbillon allows the movement to be more precise. Now, what IWC Schaffhausen has achieved with the XPL Tourbillon Skeleton is to put this intricate complication through centrifugal forces of 10,000g and still be perfectly operational.
This is all achieved through IWC Schaffhausen’s patented SPRIN-g PROTECT system, first introduced in 2021 by the brand’s advanced engineering division XPL. This innovative system consists of a cantilevered spring that allows the movement to be suspended within the case, effectively neutralising the acceleration forces that will occur when the case has hard impacts. Adapting this innovative system to suit a tourbillon required the engineers at IWC Schaffhausen to completely redesign the spring to match the tourbillon calibre movement, 82915, precisely.
For IWC Schaffhausen’s SPRIN-g PROTECT system to be fully effective, however, the weight of the object being ‘protected’ must be kept to a minimum. This is why we see the movement and dial being skeletonised as much as possible, shedding all weight and keeping everything to a minimum. IWC Schaffhausen has skeletonised the movement’s bridges, plates and rotor, while the dial has been reduced to a black ring with an hour ring, and the hour and minute hands have also been hollowed out to save weight. This is truly reflective of the high-performance Formula 1 machines, where every bit of weight is precisely shed to not only meet race regulations, but also make the car’s power-to-weight ratio as effective as possible.
Case Design
The 44mm case of this new Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL is made from Ceratanium®. This is IWC Schaffhausen’s proprietary material, which combines the lightweight strength of titanium with the scratch resistance and sleek appearance of ceramic. Developed in-house, it begins as a specially formulated titanium alloy that is machined into the desired shape and then heat-treated in a furnace, where its surface transforms into a ceramic-like layer. The result is a matte black, ultra-durable, and skin-friendly material that offers the best of both worlds.
Dial Design
The dial has almost all of its elements done in black, which matches the case and parts of the SPRIN-g PROTECT system, such as the upper movement ring and the case back ring, being done in black as well. This blacked out look has been infused with touches of gold, which can be seen on the tourbillon complication as well as the SPRIN-g PROTECT ring. The choice of these two colours wasn’t purely aesthetic either. The black and gold colours reflect the APXGP racing team colours in the upcoming Formula 1 movie!
Movement
The movement, as mentioned previously, has been stripped to the bare bones to save as much weight as possible. IWC Schaffhausen states that even the flying tourbillon only consists of 56 parts, which makes it only weigh 0.663 grams. The IWC-manufactured Calibre 82915 movement, designed specifically for this timepiece, matches the watch’s highly technical design by delivering high-end performance. The watch operates at a high frequency of 4Hz (28.800 VpH), which means a high level of accuracy, while also delivering an impressive 80-hour (3+ days) power reserve.
Initial Thoughts
IWC Schaffhausen has long been celebrated for bringing together tradition alongside innovation. However, with this latest creation, the brand has clearly shifted into a new gear entirely. IWC Schaffhausen has perfectly played its role in the upcoming Formula 1 movie, bringing knowledge and experience from the track to innovative creations on the wrist. The use of the APXGP racing team as a canvas for creative storytelling highlights just how far the brand is willing to push the boundaries of watchmaking.
This new Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL is as technical as it gets. From the Ceratanium® case, IWC Schaffhausen’s own proprietary material improving the performance of the case, to now a new movement which fuses the brand’s own SPRIN-g PROTECT system developed in 2021, with the much much-loved flying tourbillon complication, this timepiece is about showcasing the cutting-edge technology and innovation that defines the future of high-performance watchmaking, all while paying tribute to the relentless engineering spirit of Formula 1. In many ways, this feels like a new era for the brand, and as a lover of sports cars, motorsport, and timepieces, I, for one, am fully on board with this new direction.
Specification: Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL (IW357701)
- Dimensions: 44mm x 13mm thickness
- Case Material: Ceratanium® Case
- Dial: Black skeletonised dial with skeletonised hands. Flying tourbillon complication at 6 o’clock. Hollowed out hour indices ring to make way for movement.
- Movement: IWC-manufactured movement 82915 Calibre. SPRIN-g PROTECT system protects the movement from acceleration forces in excess of 10’000 g.
- Movement Power reserve: 80 hours (Frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH)
- Water resistance: 100m (10 Bar)
- Crystal: Sapphire glass, convex, antireflective coating on both sides. Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure
- Case back: Anti-reflective sapphire glass.
- Bracelet/Strap: Black rubber strap with black calfskin inlay
