The Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton
Image: IWC-Schaffhausen
Fresh from their collaboration with Mercedes on the G-Class-inspired AMG G63 watch, IWC-Schaffhausen just announced another timepiece inspired by yet another Mercedes icon, seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
A product of a design collaboration between Sir Hamilton and IWC Chief Design Officer Christian Knoop, the timepiece has the rather lengthy name, Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton. The watch is based on the complex yet elegant IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph series and is the third collaboration between IWC and Hamilton.
The previous two are the titanium Ingenieur Chronograph Edition Lewis Hamilton, released back in 2014, and the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Lewis Hamilton, which debuted in 2019. Aiming to have a more symbolic connection to the F1 driver, IWC will only make 44 (Lewis Hamilton's racing number) pieces of the watch.
Image: IWC-Schaffhausen
Case
Crafted from Platinum, the IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton follows in the footsteps of many recent Portugieser watches. Its diameter of 43.5 mm and height of 15.9 mm not only provide a robust yet elegant frame for the intricate mechanisms within but also mean it's big enough to command a presence on any size of wrist. A whitish sheen on top of the Platinum adds an extra layer of sophistication to an already premium-looking case.
Complementing the case is a matching textile strap with a folding clasp, offering comfort and convenience to the wearer. Flipped on its belly, a sapphire glass back previews the movement's gold-plated components, a first for IWC since the iconic 1993 "Il Destriero Scafusia."
Image: IWC-Schaffhausen
Dial and Subdials
The dial strikes a balance between simplicity and complexity, a feat IWC has accomplished several times with the Portugieser series. Simple yet incredibly elegant, the rich teal dial is adorned with 12 sparkling diamonds that serve as hour markers.
Slightly buried into the dial, the semi-circular retrograde date subdial runs from 8 to 11 o'clock while a stopped hours and minutes subdial sits at 12 o'clock. The eye-catcher, though, is the flying hacking minute tourbillon with a balance wheel that rotates around its axis in a small cage at 6 O'clock.
Image: IWC-Schaffhausen
Lewis Hamilton's signature Panther's eyes logo is neatly placed at 3 o'clock, just below the IWC logo to remind the wearer of the watch's affiliation with the record-setting Formula 1 driver.
Movement
IWC's trusted 89900 caliber powers the latest IWC Lewis Hamilton watch. This automatic winding movement turns at the industry standard 4 Hz and incorporates a total of 42 jewels in its construction.
To reduce friction and improve the flow of the caliber's moving parts, IWC's Diamond Shell technology offers exemplary components, notably the silicon pallet lever and the escape wheel, with a diamond coating, which, along with other factors, results in an incredible 68 hours of endurance.
Famous for his flamboyant and hard-to-ignore style, Lewis Hamilton is quite the name in the high-octane world of motorsport. Against that backdrop, it only seems fitting that he deserves a timepiece that mirrors his exceptional skill behind the wheel and his unique sense of fashion. The Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton does just that, serving as the perfect wrist companion to a man who redefines style and fashion in the motorsport world.
