The IWC Limited Edition Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team watch is a fitting tribute to Formula One’s long-standing relationship between the eight-time world champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen. With the 2025 Formula 1 season kicking off in Melbourne this March, IWC unveiled the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Ref. IW356201. Limited to just 100 pieces, this timepiece integrates the IWC’s SPRIN-g PROTECT with the technical design inspired by the team’s colors. The shock absorber spring is manufactured using bulk metallic glass and coated with PETRONAS green Super Lumi-Nova. Measuring 44mm x 12.6 mm, the case and the crown are made from Ceratanium, this highly-advanced material was developed by IWC combining both the lightness and robustness of titanium with the hardness of ceramic. The black dial has a new stamped, grainy texture, which appears to be a free-floating.
Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports, and emotions run high during race day, both in the car, and, in the team’s garage. Toto Wolff, Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team was spotted during these tense and stressful moments, wearing a prototype of the IWC Big Pilot Watch Shock Absorber XPL, designed specifically to withstand enormous pressures during an F1 race weekend whilst worn by Toto himself.
The Big Pilot Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team was created, not just as a tribute to Toto’s leadership, who was instrumental in steering the team to eight world titles, but also, as IWC’s relentless pursuit of innovation. IWC’s patented SPRIN-g PROTECT shock absorber system was developed by IWC’s engineering division XPL and was first introduced with the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Ref. IW357201 back in 2021. Based on a cantilever spring that cushions the movement, the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber takes protection of the movement to a higher level. Should the watch suffer an impact on the case, the spring absorbs a major amount of force before it reaches the movement; designed with a special form, allowing it to spread evenly the stress across the length and width. The spring is manufactured using bulk metallic glass (BMG) which is a significantly more elastic than conventional crystalline metals. The movement is the IWC-manufactured Calibre 32101 with a 120-hour power reserve.
F1 75 Season Launch
During the Formula 1 season launch at the O2 in London, Mercedes-AMG Formula One Team driver George Russell was seen sporting the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert” Ref. IW506003; while rookie driver Kimi Antonelli wore the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Ref. IW328210. Not to be outdone, Toto Wolff had the newly- launched IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Ref. IW356201. The event was a celebration of 75 years of Formula 1 success and was a fitting start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.
