Several rare watches from IWC Schaffhausen were recently introduced to a Vancouver audience at the Mercedes AMG F1 Experience. The Mercedes Petronas F1 driving team of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton each designed their own signature watch, only 250 of each made, which were shown at the event: the Ingenieur Chronograph Edition “Lewis Hamilton” and the the Ingenieur Chronograph Edition “Nico Rosberg”. Carbon, ceramic, and titanium are integral components of the latest line of Ingenieur watches, using F1 automobile technology to accomplish this.
The Automatic Carbon Performance Ceramic (limited edition, 1,000 watches) was also available for viewing, along with the spectacular Constant Force Tourbillon, for which IWC introduced a patented constant-force mechanism, making it virtually steady for up to 48 hours. There are only 50 of them in the world. These amazing timepieces drew plenty of attention throughout the day; guests were able to watch the Sunday June 7 Grand Prix du Canada race, from Montreal, on a giant LED screen, and experience the race course in a VRX iMotion z-55 racing simulator. There also were four heart-racingly gorgeous, high performance vehicles available for test drives: GLA 45 AMG; C 63 AMG Edition 507; SLK 55 AMG; SL 63 AMG. The only difficulty was deciding in which vehicle to take a spin.
Mark Costanzo, of Montecristo Jewellers, had just returned from the IWC manufacture in Schaffhausen, where he had the opportunity to observe in intimate detail how these special watches are designed and made. “To me, the IWC collection is comprised of timepieces that are, simply, well made, strikingly beautiful yet non-pretentious,” he says. “Their watches are for those who appreciate quality and luxury but do not need to scream for attention.” He observes that “they have a long, intriguing history, and their contribution to charitable and environmental projects around the globe is inspiring. I believe it is nearly impossible to be a timepiece enthusiast and not have a deep appreciation for IWC.” Certainly, the racing enthusiasts in attendance were all in agreement.
