IWC Release Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team

Watching Formula One as a fan can be a stressful endeavour. Imagine then the stress of sitting on the sidelines as Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, and watching the team you have shepherded for years try to reclaim glory. It would be enough to make you punch your fist, forgetting that you happen to be wearing a very expensive IWC Perpetual Calendar – something he’s been filmed doing multiple times. Evidently IWC are concerned about the safety of the watches on Wolff’s wrist because they’ve created the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team.

As the name implies, the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL is all about reducing the g-force from shocks and bumps that are transmitted from the watch’s case to the movement. If you’ve ever pulled up a watch’s tech sheet and seen words like Incabloc, Nivachoc or Diashock, these are the most common shock resistance systems. Largely they all operate in similar ways, suspending the core components of the movement (particularly the balance wheel) on springs that flex and absorb energy when the watch is shocked. If you’ve ever dropped a watch and it’s still ticking, it probably has a shock resistance system.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL takes that idea even further by replacing those springs with their SPRIN-g PROTECT® shock absorber system. It uses a cantilever spring made from bulk metallic glass to evenly spread force across its entire length and width, cushioning the movement. Bulk metallic glass is a metallic alloy that’s rapidly cooled in such a way that it gains exceptional hardness and elasticity – the last time I heard of its use in watchmaking was on the bezel of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo”  Extra-Thin 16202XT. Providing superior protection from shocks.

For the Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team edition of the watch they’ve dressed it in the team’s colours. Which means a black ceratanium case, measuring a broad 44mm x 12.6mm, combined with Petronas green accents. The cushion shaped ring around the edge of the central dial is actually the SPRIN-g PROTECT® shock absorber on display, coloured Petronas green and coated with lume. The display in the middle is actually as straight forward as they come compared to the complexity of the watch around it, featuring a time only display with hours, minutes and seconds.

So, what is the movement that has had so much effort gone into protecting from violently shaken fists, whether that be in celebration or frustration? It’s the Calibre 32101 with a whopping 120-hour power reserve, equivalent to five days. It’s also got a blacked out finish visible through the tinted sapphire glass exhibition caseback, which sports Toto Wolff’s signature.

It’s a limited edition of 100 pieces at a price of £79,700, making it pretty damn exclusive. You’d probably need a job along the lines of being the CEO of an F1 team to buy one. If you want to see Toto actually wearing the watch, he’s due to wear it at tomorrow’s (February 18^th) F1® 75 Live at The O2 Area event.

More details at IWC.

​Oracle Time 

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