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Culture > Time

IWC has made a Big Pilot to go with the Mercedes-AMG One

Only 275 pieces of this watch will be made

The timepiece takes design cues from the car. PHOTO FROM MERCEDES-BENZ

The Mercedes-AMG One is a Formula 1 fan’s dream come true—a road car fitted with what is basically the same powertrain the Silver Arrows win championships with. The 1.6-liter turbo V6 along with the electric motors onboard is capable of a combined 1,063hp and a top speed of 325km/h. It sounds just like an F1 car, too.  And now, Mercedes’s partner and luxury watchmaker IWC has made an equally mind-blowing timepiece to go along with this insane machine.

The case may look like stainless steel, but it's actually the precious alloy titanium aluminide. PHOTO FROM IWC

The timepiece—reference number IW590502 (aka Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition AMG One Owners)—combines iconic design elements from both IWC and Mercedes. The case is made of titanium aluminide, a material more commonly seen in aerospace applications. It is 46.2mm in diameter and 13.5mm thick, and features the Big Pilot’s signature conical crown.

To give the piece a sportier feel, the leather strap most commonly associated with this line of watches is dropped for a black rubber strap stamped with turquoise three-pointed stars. The sapphire crystal is surrounded by a polished bezel and a turquoise pinstripe. The satin-black dial features lumed indices as well as three complications: a power reserve display, a double moon phase, and the tourbillon.

The constant-force tourbillon is an intricate piece of mechanical art. PHOTO FROM IWC

At the heart of this piece is IWC’s in-house Caliber 94800. This manual-wound movement has 41 jewels and beats at 2.5Hz. It can keep running for four days in between winds, and is kept accurate by the constant-force tourbillon even as power reserves dwindle. Being the watch’s pièce ​de ​résistance, the movement is of course displayed via a sapphire exhibition caseback.

Only 275 pieces of this watch will be made, exclusively for the owners of the 275 AMG Ones set to go into production. There is no information as to how much the watch costs, but those who know their watches will be quick to note that the exotic metal case and the tourbillon scream expensive.



Simonn Ang

Simonn is just a regular guy who happens to love cars and motorcycles. He also loves writing about them, too.



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