This week in watches: IWC drop two new chronograph watches in time for the Las Vegas Grand Prix

EACH WEEK, we’ll be taking a look at the hottest news, developments and rare sightings in the watch world—what’s ticking, what’s trending and what’s causing jaws in various corners of the watch internet to drop. We’ll highlight new brand releases, celebrity watch spots and general news for all you horologically-minded enthusiasts.

This week in the world of watches, it’s been hard to go past IWC Schaffhausen and its Special Performance Chronograph campaign: two new Pilot’s watches unveiled, together with the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One team, ahead of this weekend’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. The new Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 now comes available in two variations, one crafted from lightweight titanium and one rendered from the proprietary Ceratanium construction. And sporting the flashy new releases are Mercedes AMG PETRONAS drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell who, for the first time ever, appear in an IWC campaign together.

Elsewhere, Patek Philippe has stunned the watch world with the unveiling of its new Rainbow diamond-encrusted Aquanaut Luce Minute Repeater. Designed as a watch “for ladies”, considering its released spec, this Aquanaut is every bit a watch that will appeal to all genders. Oh, and it comes with a price tag of approximately $4.3m…

Keep scrolling for all that dropped in the watch world this week.

1

IWC launch two new Pilot’s watches ahead of the Las Vegas GP

IWC, together with its longstanding motorsport partners Mercedes-AMG, have this week launched the new Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 in two variations: titanium and ceratanium. Both models feature tachymeter scales, a modern 41 mm build and house the IWC-manufactured 69385 caliber movement. The timepieces also feature highly intricate dial designs that pay homage to moto racing and Mercedes-AMG specifically.

“The Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 combines our extensive know-how in developing industry-leading chronographs with our comprehensive expertise in advanced materials,” says Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

To celebrate the sporty new release, IWC and Mercedes-AMG created a “Speed City” outdoor pop-up venue in the Las Vegas desert ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend. Among the guests to attend the exciting event were Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, as well as Hollywood actors James Marsden and Aaron Paul who were both wearing their exclusive IWC timepieces.

2

The new Patek Philippe Rainbow Aquanaut Luce Minute Repeater is unisex, right?

The rainbow watch trend does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. This week, Patek Philippe unveiled a suite of new references to join its formidable Aquanaut and Nautilus collections. Highly coveted, both the Aquanaut and Nautilus, no matter its spec, are some of the most coveted timepieces in the world. But one new iteration this week stood out from the rest: the all-new 38mm rainbow diamond-encrusted Aquanaut Minute Repeater intended “for ladies”. There is not a shadow of a doubt that this watch, however, will be a hit amongst a range of watch collectors, men and women alike. While this exclusive minute repeater is not for everyone—do you have a lazy $4m lying around?—there’s no doubt it will be the topic of conversations for months (and potentially years) to come.

3

Dive enthusiasts find a rare vintage Rolex Submariner in Noosa, Australia

Looking to take up diving? We are, too. Earlier this month, it was reported by the ABC that two eco-warriors from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, who regularly scale the ocean floor for rubbish and waste, landed themselves a rare find: a vintage Rolex Submariner worth in excess of $30,000. After posting the image of the timepiece on a community Facebook page, the owner of the 60-year old Submariner eventually contacted the divers to claim his lost timepiece which has been in his possession for over 50 years.

4

TUDOR takes home coveted GPHG award

By now, we all know what an absolute workhorse the semi-new TUDOR Pelagos 39 is. A dive watch by day, style icon by night, the Pelagos 39 has been a hit in the watch world ever since it debuted a year ago. Now, the Pelagos 39 has officially been recognised by a panel of watch luminaries at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2023 (the Oscars of the watch world), being named the “Best Sports Watch” of the year. It’s the very same watch that David Beckham wore to the Ballon d’Or awards—football’s coveted awards ceremony that celebrates the world’s best player—proving a dive-specific timepiece can look the part with a midnight navy tuxedo. Chic!