IWC Drops the First Purple Dial in Its Pilot’s Watch History for F1’s Original Night Race

At this point, the IWC and Mercedes-AMG Petronas partnership has become a content calendar of its own. We’ve seen everything from the original black-and-teal team watch, the track-focused Performance Chronograph, and George Russell’s blue ceramic pair from earlier this year. And through all of these releases, we’ve seen one design theme stay intact – the dial stayed dark, and the color stayed in the accents.

For October’s Singapore Grand Prix, IWC has thrown that playbook out the window with the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team and its full purple dial.

An Orchid on an Instrument Dial

It’s the first purple dial in the history of IWC’s Pilot’s Watch collection, and the brand didn’t just randomly pull this shade off some mood board. It comes from the Vanda Miss Joaquim, an orchid bred in Singapore back in 1893 that now serves as the country’s national flower.

The dial wears a rich sunray brush with snailed, recessed subdials, while the numerals arrive in the team’s signature PETRONAS green. That same green glows from the Super-LumiNova on the blacked-out hands.

Built for the Garage, Not the Podium

There is something worth mentioning after those Russell driver editions dropped. This particular release isn’t about a driver at all. It’s the fourth official team watch IWC has made since 2022, meaning the same chronograph goes on the wrists of the mechanics, engineers, and Brackley HQ staff who keep Russell and Kimi Antonelli on track.

The occasion is October’s Singapore Grand Prix, 62 laps around Marina Bay under floodlights at F1’s original night race. Adidas is also launching a matching team kit in the exact same purple colorway.

Familiar Bones Under the Paint

Beneath the color, this is the Chronograph 41 we’re already familiar with. The 41mm case is Grade 5 titanium, brushed to a matte silvery gray, and equipped with a properly sporty 100 meters of water resistance.

Inside beats IWC’s in-house caliber 69385, a column-wheel automatic chronograph with a 46-hour power reserve and a day-date at 3 o’clock. Flip it over and the sapphire caseback frames the movement with a ring of PETRONAS green team text. And the purple rubber strap pops off tool-free via IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system, just in case the orchid look ever gets to be too much.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

Part of IWC’s permanent collection rather than a limited run, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is available now for $9,200. Head over to IWC’s website to check it out before the lights go out in Singapore on October 11th.

Recap

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team

IWC honors the Singapore Grand Prix with its fourth Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team watch, wrapping the titanium Chronograph 41 in the first purple dial the Pilot’s collection has ever seen.

Learn More: IWC