Lewis Hamilton his watches

The history

Because IWC and Mercedes have been working together for many years, you could previously find a clock on the dashboard in the most exclusive cars of the German manufacturer, which came directly from IWC. Models such as the CLS, S and SL used to have such a dashboard clock as an option in the past. IWC has also been working with the sportier Mercedes cars, the AMGs, for a long time. For example, you could not only see the time in your Mercedes AMG on the dashboard, but you could also purchase a titanium version of the IWC Ingenieur, but as a special AMG variant. These watches used to be quite affordable, but nowadays these AMG editions of the IWC Ingenieur easily cost around €5,000 or more.

IWC & Lewis Hamilton

Anyone who follows Formula 1 a bit will also see that Lewis Hamilton is spotted in quite striking outfits, both on the paddock and outside. Lewis is not just a driver, but a style icon. And that includes a suitable watch from IWC. The men of the Petronas Mercedes Formula 1 team therefore often wear the IWC Pilot Chronograph with reference 388108, a steel case with light blue hands and hour markers, which of course reflects as the color of Petronas-Mercedes. The watch is a chronograph, which is intended for racing, so that fits perfectly with the sponsorship deal from IWC and Mercedes-Benz.

Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari

While we have seen Lewis Hamilton mostly wearing IWC watches in the past, this is set to change following his move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. IWC has officially ended its sponsorship of Hamilton, as the brand remains the dedicated partner of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1.

Ferrari, on the other hand, continues its partnership with Richard Mille, a brand known for its cutting-edge designs and distinctive bulky ceramic or carbon cases. It wouldn’t be surprising if Richard Mille launches a limited edition RM Lewis Hamilton this year, given their history of creating exclusive timepieces for high-profile athletes and celebrities—just like the RM Rafael Nadal or RM Pharrell Williams.

I’m eager to see what this year will bring us watch-wise, as new partnerships and designs emerge on and off the F1 grid.

Which watch do you see on TV?

When you watch F1, and especially the pre- and post-race, you will see that every time watches are handed to the drivers after the race, because they will have to wear them for the sponsorship deal. For example, Max Verstappen wears the TAG Heuer Monaco, Lewis Hamilton wears the IWC Pilot Chronograph and the Ferrari men wear the Richard Mille brand . There must be a difference, of course, because the watches from Mercedes-Petronas and Red Bull are considerably cheaper than the watches from Ferrari.