To mark British racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s sixth Formula 1 World Championship, IWC has unveiled the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition.

One of the most striking executions of the Big Pilot to date, the watch departs from the subdued, technical colours that characterise the line – which was inspired by German airforce navigators’ watches of the Second World War – and instead opts for a Bordeaux dial and pink gold accents.

Measuring 46.5mm wide and 15.9mm high, the case is made of matte black ceramic, which accentuates its burgundy dial while downplaying its massive dimensions – though the watch is hard to miss on the wrist.

The richly coloured dial is combined with a pink-gold crown and case back, while the hands are gold-plated and filled with cream-coloured Super-Luminova. All the indications are also printed in a golden hue, along with a black four-digit year disc and moons, matching the case.

Visible through the case back is the in-house, automatic cal. 52615, which sports a solid pink-gold rotor. It features the brand’s trademark Pellaton winding system, a 7-day power reserve courtesy of twin barrels and most crucially, the landmark perpetual calendar module invented by IWC’s longtime technical guru Kurt Klaus.

The perpetual calendar tracks the day, day of the week, date, month, four-digit year, with both northern and southern hemispheres moon phases displayed concurrently. All indications advance in a coordinated sequence, and even better, can all be adjusted via the crown.

But it comes with one caveat: the calendar can only be set forwards, and not back, so going past the current date means having to wait for the date to catch up, or returning the watch to IWC for adjustment.

At the same time, the moon phase display deviates from the actual phase of the moon by just a day in 577.5 years.

Key facts and price

“Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition
Ref. IW503002

Diameter: 46.5 mm
Height: 15.9mm
Material: Black ceramic case with a pink gold case back
Water resistance: 60m

Movement: Cal. 52615
Functions: Time, power reserve display; perpetual calendar displaying the date, day, month and four-digit year and moon phase for both northern and southern hemispheres
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour, or 4Hz
Power reserve: 7 days

Strap: Bordeaux-red textile strap

Limited edition: 100
Availability: By request
Price: 52,000 Swiss francs or 72,000 Singapore dollars

For more, visit IWC.com.