IWC – BIG ILOT’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition IW503607

IWC Schaffhausen – BIG PILOT’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Blue Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team” (Ref. IW503607)

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LAST PIECE OF IWC’S LIMITED TOTO WOLFF EDITION TO BE AUCTIONED FOR CHARITABLE INITIATIVE IGNITE

Schaffhausen, 30 June 2022. Ahead of the British Grand Prix™ at Silverstone, IWC Schaffhausen is pleased to announce the auction of the last Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes- AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team.” Limited to only 100 pieces, this exclusive Big Pilot’s Watch recognises the extraordinary career and achievements thus far of Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes- AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, while also highlighting his longstanding collaboration and relationship with IWC. 

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Over the years, Toto Wolff has been seen wearing several IWC watches and prototypes during memorable moments, on and off the racetrack. The watch numbered 50 out of 100 – the last available – will be auctioned by international auction house Bonhams, with the proceeds going to Ignite, a joint charitable initiative operated by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team and Sir Lewis Hamilton to support greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport. At the same time, IWC Schaffhausen announces the establishment of an annual 50,000 Euro donation for Ignite.
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    “Toto Wolff is the outstanding team principal of his  generation and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team has seen unprecedented success under his  leadership. Winning a race or a single championship  campaign are great achievements in their own right.  However, Toto’s ability to create a dynamic team driven  by a high-performance culture, has led to unmatched  consistency and eight consecutive constructors’ titles over  the last nine years of his tenure. We are proud to honour  this outstanding personality with a unique Big Pilot’s Watch, and once again join forces with our longstanding  motorsport partner in support of a good cause,”

Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen

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In 2013, the Austrian entrepreneur and former racing driver Toto Wolff became a shareholder and executive director of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team. During his time as the Team Principal & CEO, the team has won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 – more than any other team in elite world sport. 

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With the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”, Wolff was finally honoured with an IWC watch that carries his name.

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The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team” (Ref. IW503607) features a Ceratanium® case and crown, a glass dial, and black hands. The printing and luminescence are in the team’s signature PETRONAS green colour. Limited to only 100 pieces, this watch is fitted with a black rubber strap with textile inlay. Ceratanium® is a ground-breaking new material developed by IWC. 

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It is as light and robust as titanium and almost as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. Ceratanium® is based on a special titanium alloy forged explicitly for IWC. The case components are machined from bars and then treated in a furnace process at high temperatures. During this heat treatment, they develop not only ceramic properties on their surface but also their striking matte black finish.  

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“After almost a decade of partnership, it is an honour and a privilege to have been asked to design a watch with IWC Schaffhausen. For me, it had to be a Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar. The watch uses Ceratanium, a material that stands for robustness and strength, two features that are very important to me. The dial is in bold PETRONAS Green, the colour of our team, and, of course, I had to add a subtle red collar around the crown and pay tribute to our friend and colleague Niki Lauda. The final design is exactly how I had imagined it to be and I am delighted to donate this special timepiece to the auction and hope to raise as much as possible for the Ignite partnership,” states Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team.

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IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar was developed by former head-watchmaker Kurt Klaus during the 1980s. The mechanical program automatically recognises the different lengths of the months and the leap years, requiring no manual adjustment until 2100. The moon phase display shows the moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres and will only deviate by one day after 577.5 years. 

 

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The calendar module is driven via a single nightly switching impulse by the IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre. This automatic movement features IWC’s iconic Pellaton winding system, which has been reinforced with ceramic components and accumulates a power reserve of 7 days in two barrels. The movement can be admired through the tinted sapphire glass back.

NUMBER 50 OF 100 TO BE AUCTIONED BY BONHAMS 

The watch carrying the number 50 will be auctioned online by the international auction house Bonhams. The proceeds will go to Ignite. This charitable initiative launched in 2021 by The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team and Sir Lewis Hamilton will focus its work on supporting greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport. 

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The watch comes with a 10-minute video call with Toto Wolff and a tour of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team HQ and Operations Centre, offering exclusive, behind-the-scenes insight into what goes into designing, manufacturing and running the world’s most advanced racing cars. Interested buyers can register and place their bids here: www.bonhams.com/auction/28074.

IWC ANNOUNCES A YEARLY DONATION 

In addition, IWC Schaffhausen and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1™ Team are also announcing the establishment of a yearly donation of 50,000 Euros, which will be funded by IWC.

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Like the auction proceeds, the funds will also go to Ignite. Learn more: Ignite Partnership Announces Inaugural Grants to Boost UK motorsport (mercedesamgf1.com)

MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE™ TEAM 

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team is the works team of Mercedes-Benz, competing at the pinnacle of motorsport – the FIA Formula One™ World Championship. Formula One™ is like nothing else in the sporting sphere. It’s a demanding technical and human challenge, combining cutting-edge technologies and innovation, high-performance management and elite teamwork. 

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At Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, a group of passionate and determined people work to design, develop, manufacture and race the cars driven by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and young star George Russell. The team has set a new benchmark for F1™ success during the sport’s current Hybrid era, winning consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the Constructors’ Championship in 2021. During those title-winning seasons, the team has scored 111 wins, 232 podium finishes, 118 pole positions, 81 fastest laps and 53 one-two finishes from 160 race starts. 

BONHAMS 

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, motor cars and a luxury division, including jewellery, watches, wine and whisky. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 53 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

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Technical Specifications

Model  BIG PILOT’s Watch  Perpetual Calendar Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team”

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Ref. IW503607

FEATURES
Mechanical chronograph movement
– Perpetual calendar
– Pellaton automatic winding 
– Rotor with 18-carat gold medallion
– Power reserve display
– Double moon phase display
– Perpetual calendar displaying the date, day, month and year to four figures and perpetual lunar phase for both northern and southern hemispheres
Will only deviate from the moon’s actual orbit by a single day after 577.5 years.
– Small hacking seconds
– Screw-in crown
– Limited to 100 watches

MOVEMENT
IWC-manufactured calibre  52615
Côtes de Genève, perlage
Frequency:    28,800 A/h | 4 Hz
386 Components
Jewels:    54
Power reserve:    7 days (168 h)
Winding:    Automatic
DIAL
Skeleton, glass dial, black hands with luminescence
Dial is in bold PETRONAS Green, the colour of our team Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team.
Functions

• Perpetual calendar
• Hour hand
• Minute hand
• Small hacking seconds
• Date display
• Day display
• Month display
• Year display
• Moon phase display
• Power reserve display

WATCH
Materials:  Ceratanium® matte black finish
Diameter:    46.2 mm
Height:    15.4 mm
Crown:  Ceratanium®
Glass:    See-through sapphire glass back
Water-resistant: 6 bar
STRAP:
Black rubber strap with textile inlay, Ceratanium® pin buckle
Strap width 22 mm

– Limited Edition - Only 100 Pieces

 

 

WARRANTY  6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty. 

 

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Press releases - 2022
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 IWC Schaffhausen
Uwe Liebminger
Department Manager Public Relations
Mobile  +41 (0)79 957 72 52
E-mail  uwe.liebminger@iwc.com
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FERDINAND BERTHOUD – Horloge Marine Clock N°14 Heritage

 

FERDINAND BERTHOUD – CHRONOMÉTRIE Horloge Marine Clock N°14 Heritage 1775 Limited Edition 

 A CUSTODIAN OF ACCURACY
ON SHOW AT WATCHES AND WONDERS

It is not a watch; it is not a new model. You won't be able to talk to its creator, and you won't be able to wear it or even touch it. You will probably only see it once in your life. Discover this technical and horological masterpiece during Watches and Wonders Geneva.

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Ferdinand Berthoud made only 21 weight-driven marine clocks during his lifetime. To date, 11 of them have been located in private collections or museums; the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris alone has six examples. Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud is proud to announce that one of these 11 creations will be joining the L.U.CEUM collection in Fleurier.

A unique occasion to admire a pioneering precision timekeeping object

This measuring instrument is one of those that enabled navigation on the high seas and the discovery of new lands: only a Marine Clock allowed sailors to calculate longitudes and thus to keep a fixed course for several months. Entirely crafted using manual tools, it offered the ultimate level of accuracy for the time, gaining or losing just one second per week – an exceptional result that could still challenge the finest contemporary chronometers.

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It is interesting to note that the object has not acquired its value in recent times due to itsvenerableage, but was instead already valuable 250 years ago. It was the most important onboard instrument, placed in the Captain’s cabin and under his direct responsibility. The “Longitude” Marine Clocks" always went in pairs. This principle of redundancy when it comes to critical navigation instruments is still the rule nowadays for both maritime and airborne navigation.

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It is this extremely rare witness of a decisive early period in the history of horology that the Maison has decided to exhibit – accompanied by countless precautions– at Watches & Wonders Geneva. This clock bears number 14 and was made in 1775. It represents all the fundamentals that are the bedrock of contemporary watchmaking, and particularly of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud.

Original inspiration

Ferdinand Berthoud designed several systems intended to guarantee the highest precision of his Marine Clocks. This enabled him to lay the groundwork for the longitude calculations on which transoceanic navigation depended – and hence for the expansion of the great 18th century European powers including the Spanish Navy, which purchased this No. 14 clock as part of a global order for eight chronometers built by Ferdinand Berthoud and delivered between 1775 and 1776.

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Among these systems was a constant force mechanism. The objective was to ensure the most regular possible distribution of the escapement’s driving torque. This device is still used today and equips all timepieces by Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud.

The second fundamental process in contemporary watchmaking is a pivoted detent escapement. Stable, energy-efficient and regular in its operation, the detent  escapement is considered the first free-sprung escapement. Within this construction, the impulse comes from the escape-wheel – which is why Ferdinand Berthoud designed it to be oversized (58.4 mm in diameter) in order to ensure perfect precision as a larger escape-wheel offers greater inertia and thus enhanced precision.

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Finally, Marine Clock No. 14 features a grid, the first true metallic mechanism compensating for the thermal variations that caused the metals in the movement to expand. Today, modern alloys pursue exactly the same goal. Their use was not possible three centuries ago, yet Ferdinand Berthoud had already understood the importance of thermal variations and the need to compensate for them.

Continuity of a heritage

Restoration work on Marine Clock No. 14 called for no less than 400 hours. This timepiece has been entirely restored to its original functional state, while retaining the patina associated with its age.
It still reflects the technical choices made by Ferdinand Berthoud, which continue to govern the development of the Maisonbearing his name today. The constant force escapement was used right from the start with the FB 1.1. 

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The vertical pillar-based construction of the clock – within a structure offering a view of the movement– has shaped the cases of all contemporary creations signed Ferdinand Berthoud. Finally, the eponymous Chronométrie scrupulously insists on the repairability of its timepieces, just as Ferdinand Berthoud was already doing in 1775. A successful approach indeed, since his Marine Clock No. 14 was once again set into operation without any major difficulty, 246 years after its creation.

Passing on the baton

This exceptional piece sums up the philosophy that guides Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, President of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud: A passion for watchmaking history; unwavering loyalty to the founding spirit of Ferdinand Berthoud; the judicious, patient and meticulous construction of the one and only museum that bears his name; the collection composed exclusively of authentic timepieces that have been restored to perfect working order; and finally, the transposition of this set of values into contemporary collections sharing the great watchmaker’s sense of innovation and experimentation, in order to reach new heights of timekeeping precision. It is with this requirement in mind that only a few dozen timepieces leave the workshops of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud each year.

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FAST FACTS

Marine Clock, Ferdinand Berthoud, No. 14, 1775

History

 

8                            This Marine Clock is part of an order of eight chronometers built in France by Ferdinand Berthoud and delivered between 1775 and 1776 to Cadiz, Spain. These were the first timepieces supplied by the master horologist to the Spanish Navy.

14                         This timepiece is the 14^th Marine Clock made by Ferdinand Berthoud, who was 48 years old at the time.

1775                   Year when this rare Marine Clock No. 14 was invented and made.

1793                   Year in which this clock was placed under the supervision of 24-year-old Cayetano Sánchez, trained by Ferdinand Berthoud and in charge of maintenance for the chronometers of the Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy located in San Fernando, in the Bay of Cadiz.

21                         Number of weight-driven marine clocks made by Ferdinand Berthoud and listed in the literature to date (of the 11 currently kept in museums and private collections, 6 are to be found in the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris).

Specifications

24 h                     Power reserve of this impressive timepiece

+/- 1 sec.          Weekly precision of Marine Clock No. 14. This one was placed on a gimbal system serving to maintain it in the same position despite a ship’s rolling and pitching.

139                      Exact number of components in this rare marine chronometer

58.4 mm            Diameter of its escape-wheel, which is larger than that of a long case clock

130 mm             Diameter of its gilded brass balance-wheel, suspended from a thin metal blade, whose axis pivots between two sets of three runners (rollers)

18.5 cm             Diameter of its baseplate-dial

52.5 cm             Total height of Marine Clock No. 14

 

400 h                  Number of hours required for its complete restoration (including historical research)

1,260 g              Weight of one of the two lead cylinders, together totalling 2,520 g

15.8 kg              Total weight of Marine Clock No. 14

 

 Officially chronometer-certified by the COSC
 Limitation  Only 21 pieces. 

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Press Release - 2022
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Chronométrie FERDINAND BERTHOUD SA
Rue des Moulins 20
Case postale 128
2114 Fleurier, Val-de-Travers (NE)
Switzerland
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