The formula for success

Formula 1 is not only a perfect fit for IWC's central message - "Engineered for men. With its technical challenges, emotional moments and exciting competition against the clock, the premier class of motor racing also offers an authentic environment in which to tell gripping stories about engineering watches in marketing communications. Back in 2004, IWC Schaffhausen and AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, laid the foundation for a long-term partnership with a sponsorship agreement. The cooperation was based on a shared ambition to push back the boundaries of mechanics and cutting-edge technology.

Even then, both companies looked back on a long and successful tradition in the field of precision engineering. The successful partnership is now being extended to Formula One racing. As a sign of the common ground they share, IWC Schaffhausen and the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team are teaming up. IWC Schaffhausen has been the Official Engineering Partner of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team since January 2013. The partnership enables IWC Schaffhausen to share its passion for outstanding engineering, its pursuit of perfection, and its claim to always deliver top performance with a global audience in its coverage of the Formula One circus.

For the completely revised 2013 Ingenieur collection, IWC's designers and constructors drew inspiration from Formula 1. Typical racing materials such as carbon fibers, ceramics and titanium characterize a new design line within the Ingenieur watch family The exhibition stand at the SIHH Geneva watch show in the penultimate week of January was also dominated by the partnership with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team. On almost 1,000 square meters, due space was given here to motorsport, innovation and development, as well as the Silver Arrow legend.

Christoph Grainger-Herr, Executive Brand Architect IWC Schaffhausen: "As an engineering brand, IWC is using the design of its stand at the Watch Salon to highlight the parallels between the world of racing and engine development and the IWC watch manufacture. Both métiers are about using a mix of tradition, cutting-edge development and manufacturing to produce highly complex machines that offer maximum efficiency and performance, using a lot of manual work." Between the wind tunnel, home stretch, pit lane and the original Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Silver Arrow from 1955, authentic racing exhibits, a disassembled Formula One racing car from the Mercedes Formula One Team and an SLS AMG Race Engineering Car found their place. Displayed in mechanical showcases in the style of moving cylinder pistons, the Schaffhausen-based manufacture presented its historic engineer's watches from the 1950s as well as the novelties of this extremely masculine collection. Like the engineers at Mercedes AMG Petronas, IWC's designers, technicians and master watchmakers work tirelessly to achieve a level of perfection that both companies refer to as "performance engineering." IWC Schaffhausen made a name for itself with the use of innovative materials such as titanium and ceramics, which caused a sensation at the time as a novelty in the watch industry.

The trend toward miniaturization heralded by Formula 1 is a process that calls for particular innovative strength. IWC is also very familiar with this approach. It once demonstrated this expertise, for example, with the groundbreaking development of the first Grande Complication for the wrist - one of the most complicated watches in the world.

However, it is not only high-tech, modern racing that has inspired IWC to create new watches; the legends and roots of motorsport have also inspired IWC to pay special homage. In the 1930s and especially in 1954/55, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows dominated international motor racing. And the 1950s also saw the origin of the Ingenieur watches, with their special features such as pronounced resistance, reliability and magnetic protection. Following the guiding principle "progress through constant renewal ", the Ingenieur embodied the philosophy of the Manufacture in an ideal way

Andreas Panzeri

"The basic architecture of the stand is influenced by the fluid forms of car design and the colors of IWC and the Ingenieur line. Flowing waves in pure white meet aluminum and carbon fiber. The ceiling waves are reminiscent of the smoke trails created during vehicle tests in the wind tunnel, and the curved side walls with the stepped VIP lounge are inspired by the steep curves of classic racetracks and their grandstands," explains Christoph Grainger-Herr, Executive Brand Architect at IWC Schaffhausen.