F1 driver Lewis Hamilton visiting the IWC headquarter in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, September 12, 2013 (PHOTOPRESS/Samuel Truempy)

Hamilton with IWC CEO George Kern in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, September 12, 2013 (PHOTOPRESS/Samuel Truempy)

We know you would love to give that F1 simulator a try. (PHOTOPRESS/Samuel Truempy)

Press Release

Schaffhausen, 12 September 2013 – IWC brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton today paid a visit to the Swiss watch manufacturer at its headquarters in Schaffhausen. The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team driver learned a lot about watchmaking, met IWC staff and journalists, and showed off his skills on a FORMULA 1 simulator. His visit centred on the partnership between the team and the luxury watch manufacturer, which has been Official Engineering Partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS since the beginning of the year.

Between the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the next event of the season in Singapore, FORMULA 1 driver, watch lover and brand ambassador of IWC Schaffhausen Lewis Hamilton managed to get away from the racing circus for a day to learn something about a craft that has many parallels with motorsport.

As the guest of Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC, Hamilton was impressed by the Schaffhausen-based company’s pioneering spirit and expertise.

“This visit to the company’s production facilities has impressed upon me the degree of pride, passion and commitment IWC’s specialists invest in their success,” said Lewis Hamilton. “Only very gifted engineers and technicians with a total dedication to perfection could possibly develop watch movements at this level of precision and innovation. It’s the same passion that drives the development department of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS to build the perfect FORMULA 1 car.”

TECHNOLOGY FAN AND FORMULA 1 STAR

Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, was delighted at the chance to meet up again with the driver. “Lewis Hamilton is a very focused individual, who works incessantly at perfecting his strengths. For a driver as passionate about his work as Lewis, team spirit, perfection and precise timing are as much a part of his professional ethos as they are for IWC’s watch specialists. We are proud to number him among our Friends of the Brand. His fascination with technology and passion for design make him the ideal ambassador.”

Lewis Hamilton’s visit was not only eagerly anticipated by IWC Schaffhausen’s staff: a group of selected journalists from all over the world likewise travelled to Schaffhausen to accompany IWC’s much celebrated brand ambassador on his factory visit. After his tour of the premises, Lewis Hamilton embarked on a virtual race on the FORMULA 1 simulator, where he gave an impressive demonstration of the outstanding skills that powered him to victory in the FORMULA 1 MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ 2013 Grand Prix in Budapest (Hungary).

COMMON VALUES AND A COMMON FUTURE

The cooperation between IWC Schaffhausen and Lewis Hamilton together with his teammate Nico Rosberg is founded on the watch manufacturer’s partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. IWC has been Official Engineering Partner since the beginning of this year, and is privileged to number the team’s two drivers, Hamilton and Rosberg, among its brand ambassadors. Its completely revamped 2013 Ingenieur watch collection likewise focuses entirely on the new partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. Some models have cases made of titanium aluminide, carbon, ceramic and titanium, all of which are inspired by the range of materials used in motorsport’s premier discipline.“

Innovation, pioneering spirit and the quest for the highest possible perfection – in other words ‘performance engineering’ – are just some of the many things our two companies have in common and, at the same time, form the basis of our successful partnership,” summed up Georges Kern. “Fans of top quality mechanical sports watches can look forward not only to future IWC collections but also to further activities in relation to our partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS.”

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design.

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE™ TEAM

The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team competes in the FIA Formula One World Championship™ and is based at the team’s Operations Centre in Brackley, Northamptonshire. The engines for the team’s cars are provided by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire.