Cover Lewis Hamilton kissing the winner's trophy during the Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit in Towcester, England, on July 5, 2024. (Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton kissing the winner's trophy during the Formula 1 Qatar Airways British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit in Towcester, England, on July 5, 2024. (Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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A lucky fan or collector has nabbed a piece of history, winning the world champion’s handsome IWC Schaffhausen timepiece at auction
When Lewis Hamilton won the Silverstone Grand Prix earlier this year, crowds roared, tears fell, and fans delighted worldwide. It was a moment for the ages, marking the seven-time Formula 1 champion’s historic ninth win at his home race and, in ways, the emotionally charged final year of his winning partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.
There are many ways to immortalise a moment—Hamilton did so with heartfelt words to his team and fans, the Union Jack proudly draped across his shoulders, and a dashing IWC Schaffhausen chronograph strapped to the arm he held high.
Read more: IWC Schaffhausen featured in the upcoming Brad Pitt-starring film ‘F1’ by Apple TV
Indeed, the world champion donned a fitting wrist accessory: the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team Ref IW388306. Exuding cool with its all-black demeanour, the watch’s case is notably made of IWC Schaffhausen’s innovative Ceratanium®, a high-performance material that combines the lightweight durability of titanium with the hardness and scratch-resistance of ceramic—the perfect blend of strength and style.
It seems that very timepiece is set off to do more good as it recently sold for a winning bid of CHF 220,000, or around US$254,000, at auction. This took place at the Bonhams-organised Laureus Charity Night in Zurich, where the chronograph was offered alongside a pair of signed racing gloves Hamilton wore during the Silverstone race.
As a global partner of the event since 2005, IWC Schaffhausen will donate all proceeds of this auction to the Laureus Foundation Switzerland, a branch of Laureus Sport for Good which works to improve the lives of children and young people through sport.
Above IWC Schaffhausen Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell and Laureus AmDan Nicholl present Lewis Hamilton’s watch "Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team" bundled with signed racing gloves that are being auctioned during the Laureus Charity Night at Kongresshaus on October 19, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland (Photo: Courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen)
IWC Schaffhausen Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell and Laureus AmDan Nicholl present Lewis Hamilton’s watch "Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team" bundled with signed racing gloves that are being auctioned during the Laureus Charity Night at Kongresshaus on October 19, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland (Photo: Courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen)
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Such a move surely underscores IWC Schaffhausen's longstanding partnership with Hamilton, who has likewise used his global platform to champion important causes time and again. The Ref IW388306 was, in fact, developed in collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and stands as a testament to the many years these powerhouses—in sport and in watchmaking—have stood side by side.
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Trained as a student journalist, Mac’s knack for writing was a serendipitous discovery. Years later and she can’t imagine doing anything else. When she isn’t typing away on a story, she revels in being lost in a new city, revisiting a cosy film or sitcom, and idling away with her dogs.
