IWC celebrates 140 years of Mercedes-Benz
IWC Schaffhausen has marked its longstanding partnership with Mercedes-Benz by unveiling a limited-edition Big Pilot’s Watch to honour the car manufacturer’s 140th anniversary. The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz is limited to 140 pieces and introduces a new level of flexibility to the perpetual calendar complication.
Words by Essential Journal
There are partnerships that feel earned, and then there are those that feel inevitable. IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes-Benz belong to the latter category. Since 2004, the Swiss watchmaker has been a partner of Mercedes-AMG, and since 2013, the official engineering partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Beyond the track, the two brands have collaborated on special edition watches inspired by the legendary G-Class and created countless experiences for their customers, from Formula One races to driving events behind the wheel of Mercedes-AMG’s most powerful cars.
Now, as Mercedes-Benz celebrates 140 years since Carl Benz filed the patent for the first automobile in 1886, IWC has created a watch that honours that legacy. The 42-millimetre stainless steel case frames a black dial with solid gold appliqués and gold-plated hands. On the sapphire-glass case back, a historic logo commemorates the milestone. First introduced in 1926 following the merger of Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft with Benz & Cie., it was the first logo for Mercedes-Benz, combining the laurel wreath from the Benz emblem with DMG’s three-pointed star.
The watch’s defining feature, however, lies within. IWC’s new Perpetual Calendar ProSet, introduced earlier this year at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, represents one of the most significant developments in perpetual calendars in decades. Unlike traditional perpetual calendars, which often require pushers or complicated setting menus, the ProSet can be adjusted forward and backward using a single position of the crown. It is as easy and intuitive as setting the time itself.
Behind that apparent simplicity lies genuine engineering complexity. The module is based entirely on gears and protected by four patents, with components manufactured using the LIGA process, an advanced microstructuring technology based on lithography and electroforming.
The calendar displays its information across four subdials: the date at 3 o’clock, the month at 6 o’clock, the day of the week at 9 o’clock, and the moon phase at 12 o’clock. The double moon phase display, accurate to within one day every 1,040 years, shows the moon correctly for viewers in both hemispheres. A four-digit year display sits between 7 and 8 o’clock on the dial.
Powering the watch is the IWC-manufactured calibre 82665, featuring a nickel-phosphorus escapement and a silicon hairspring. The bidirectional Pellaton automatic winding system, reinforced with ceramic components, builds up a power reserve of 60 hours. The watch is fitted on a black rubber strap with IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system, allowing the strap to be swapped without tools.
For IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr, the watch represents more than just another collaboration. Reflecting on the 22-year partnership, he says that what began as a collaboration has grown into a friendship built on mutual respect and deep admiration for each other’s work. “Our collaboration is rooted in shared values: a passion for world-class engineering, uncompromising performance, and visionary design,” he explains, adding that IWC warmly congratulates Mercedes-Benz on the company anniversary and looks forward to “many more years and more exciting projects together.”
Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, agrees that the partnership is built on something deeper than a simple commercial arrangement. He notes that since 1886, Mercedes-Benz has never simply measured time, but defined eras. “Together with IWC Schaffhausen, we celebrate a shared belief that true progress is born from craftsmanship, innovation, and attention to every detail,” he says. “The limited-edition Big Pilot’s Watch honors a partnership built on these values and reflects the enduring spirit that drives both our brands forward.”
The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz joins a collection that reflects different facets of the brand, including the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG, which embodies the shared passion for performance and design that has linked IWC and Mercedes-AMG since 2004.
Explore IWC Schaffhausen today via their website, or via our luxury retail partners at David M Robinson.
