Race against time: All the watches featured in F1 The Movie

One of summer’s most anticipated blockbusters has just raced into cinemas in the form of F1 The Movie. Starring Brad Pitt, Kerry Condon, Damson Idris and Javier Bardem, this movie is executive produced by Sir Lewis Hamilton and dives head-first into the world of Formula 1 and the many watches featured on the drivers’ wrists. Featuring nail biting races (and crashes), it takes viewers behind the scenes of the F1 season, giving us a peek into the engineering and training that goes into each race.

Longtime F1 viewers will know that the world of watchmaking is deeply entwined with the world of motorsports. Brands like IWC Schaffhausen, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Richard Mille and more have longstanding partnerships with many of the established Formula 1 teams. This is very accurately reflected in the film, with IWC Schaffhausen being the official timekeeping partners of the film’s fictional APX GP team. The brand has also released two special stainless steel editions of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph to celebrate the partnership. IWC’s partnership with F1 The Movie doesn’t come as much of a surprise when you realise that they are the real-life partners of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team; and that they also supplied timepieces – specifically the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor models – for the Tom Cruise blockbuster Top Gun Maverick, which, like F1 The Movie, is also directed by Joseph Kosinski.

As a result, many of the stars of the film can be seen sporting some incredible timepieces from IWC’s expansive collections – on top of all the other watch brands seen on the wrists of real life Formula 1 drivers featured in the film. Here, we take a look at some of our favourite timepieces featured in F1 The Movie.IWC Ingenieur Reference 1832 | Brad Pitt

In F1 The Movie, Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a veteran driver who retired from F1 after a disastrous crash in his prime. He is brought back to the motorsport tournament as a final effort to save the struggling APX GP team. Brad Pitt, who is a huge horology aficionado himself, had a lot of involvement in the watches Sonny wore in the film. Given that Sonny is a veteran, Pitt wanted the watches he wore to have a battered, vintage feel to them, as they needed to look like they had been passed down from Sonny’s racer dad. In the film, he even turns down a Rolex watch he wins at Daytona in favour of his father’s watch. So Pitt decided to go with a customised version of the IWC Ingenieur Reference 1832. He requested that the customised model be thinner than the original, leading IWC to make a bunch of modifications to the watch, including adding a customised green dial. A main character in its own right, the result is a stunning vintage timepiece that almost never leaves Brad Pitt’s wrist throughout the film. IWC has also released a limited edition modern version of this watch for any Formula 1 fan who wants to don a similar timepiece on their wrist.IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium | Damson Idris

Damson Idris plays APX GP driver Joshua Pearce – a rising star who still has a lot to learn. As a result, the watches he would sport would have to be bold and stand out from the crowd. The IWC Schaffausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium watch was perfect for this occasion. Combining titanium and ceramic, this watch combines a case, crown and pushers made with this material with black hands as well as printing and luminescent material in a subdued white. The all-black design is completed with a tinted sapphire glass case back. This watch also serves as the perfect Easter egg for director Joseph Kosinski as the TOP GUN Ceratanium chronograph was made as part of IWC’s Top Gun-inspired collection. Besides this, Damson Idris is also seen sporting the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG timepiece in the film.IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 | Kerry Condon

Kerry Condon is Kate, APX GP’s technical director – who also happens to be the only female technical director leading a Formula 1 team. She is no-nonsense, incredibly smart and wants to prove herself capable of standing out in an all-men’s club. To support this, Kerry Condon is seen sporting the IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 timepiece. Inspired by the design of the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII, the watch has a stainless-steel case, a black dial and rhodium-plated hands. Its technical features include a soft-iron inner case to protect the movement against magnetic fields and a front glass that was specially secured against sudden drops in pressure. Kerry Condon also wore the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 throughout the film.IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar | Javier Bardem

In F1 The Movie, Javier Bardem plays APX GP team owner Ruben Cervantes. A smartly dressed former driver, Ruben recruits Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes to join the APX GP team as a last ditch effort to save the team from being sold off. In the film, Javier is seen sporting the IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar watch – a watch fitting for the impeccably dressed. The watch features a stainless steel case, a blue dial, rhodium-plated hands and a blue calfskin strap. Its perpetual calendar automatically recognises the different month lengths and the leap years, and will not require a manual adjustment until 2100. 

Images: Courtesy of Apple TV/Warner Bros UK and IWC Schaffhausen

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