Limited to 100 pieces, the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is engineered to withstand motor racing’s most treacherous conditions
No disrespect to astronauts, but Formula One drivers endure some of the most intense G-forces known to man. While astronauts experience around 3 to 4Gs during a rocket launch, F1 drivers regularly contend with 5 to 6Gs when navigating high-speed corners and braking.
IWC Schaffhausen, a long-standing partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, has taken this reality to heart. Known to cross-pollinate ideas from the automotive world with high-end watchmaking, the watch company introduces the new Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (yes, we know, it’s a mouthful), which features a patented shock absorber system that promises to protect the movement in the event of sudden impact.
Dubbed Sprin-g Protect, the shock absorber system was first introduced in 2021 with the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL. At its core is a spring crafted from bulk metallic glass (BMG), a material renowned for its exceptional elasticity. By cushioning the movement inside the case, it dissipates shock before it reaches the calibre—an invaluable innovation for the unforgiving conditions of F1 racing.
First spotted on the wrist of Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, who wore a prototype—and soon to be featured on team drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as the 2025 F1 season unfolds—the watch isn’t just the hardiest model in IWC’s repertoire, but also among its most striking.
The much-touted spring system framing the dial, coated in ‘Petronas Green’ Super-LumiNova to echo the team’s colours. The lovely matte black 44mm case and dial, too, look appropriately dynamic and high-tech—the former made of Ceratanium, a patented material that is as light as titanium but as hard as ceramic, while the latter features an intriguing grain texture, paired with triangular hands specially designed for this watch.
Meanwhile, the transparent sapphire caseback, etched with Wolff’s signature, reveals the robust movement within—an in-house automatic calibre that guarantees top-notch precision and up to 120 hours of power reserve. It’s a high-performance engine that more than lives up to its namesake team and competition.
