Wristwatch Journal
The Covid-19 pandemic saw major sports around the world grind to a halt, due to the devastating impact of the virus and its spread. This included Formula 1, which has just restarted in the last few weeks, albeit with no crowds due to the coronavirus still causing havoc around the world. And prior to the Grand Prix that took place this weekend, Lewis Hamilton, an ambassador for IWC, has been spotted with something quite special on his wrist.
During the qualifying for the Grand Prix of Austria, Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton sported an IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar, with something we have never seen before on a Big Pilot. Hamilton’s Big Pilot was a one-off piece made by IWC to reflect the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, which Hamilton has been a vocal supporter. In support of Hamilton, the Mercedes Formula 1 team changed the colour scheme of both their cars from silver to black to stand against racism and all forms of discrimination.
The timepiece created for Hamilton is (very possibly) a black ceramic Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar with a minimalist full-black dial. The only apertures visible are the double moonphase and the year indicator. All the rest of the sub-dials are in a matte black colour, blending into the dial.
The other standout aspect of the watch is the matching matte black bracelet. As far as we know, this is the first time ever a metallic (or ceramic) bracelet has appeared on a Big Pilot’s Watch in history. The addition of the bracelet gives it a completely different profile and makes it stand out even more on the wrist. Clearly not the most legible watch around but one that has a very strong personality – and echoes an equally strong message.
Featured photo by Steve Etherington.
