The upcoming F1 movie has seen an incredible amount of hype. So much so that it won’t be a surprise if it breaks multiple records, even if it ends up being a lame story. Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen is taking advantage of all that hype to highlight its role as one of the sponsors of the fictitious APXGP Formula One team in the movie. At Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025, the watchmaker showcased the bold intersection of horology, cinema, and Formula One.
IWC hosted an exclusive event on the film, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and co-produced by Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. The result was a celebration of precision, engineering, and storytelling - all qualities IWC’s heritage aligns with.
Films/TV references
The spotlight of IWC’s booth at the fair was firmly on its partnership with the APXGP Formula One team featured in the film. Expanding from its long-standing relationship with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, its participation as a sponsor of a team in the film adds an element of realism that’s becoming more favored by filmmakers.
The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and stars Brad Pitt as a driver making a comeback to the grid. It features real race cars during real Grand Prix weekends with cameos by actual F1 drivers.
In the high-profile gathering, cast member, actress Simone Ashley visited IWC’s booth, where she was hosted by CEO Chris Grainger-Herr and Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell. Ashley wore the new Ingenieur Automatic 35 (Ref. IW324903), a refined 35mm model in 18-carat 5N gold with a matching bracelet and gold-tone dial.
The booth had two full-sized race cars used in filming - authentic Formula 2 cars modified to resemble F1 cars, one of which bore visible crash damage from a scene in the movie. Also present was a Mercedes-AMG GLE 63S camera car outfitted with a motorized crane rig similar to the one used to film racing sequences in the movie.
During the event, a conversation between Chris Grainger-Herr and Jerry Bruckheimer gave attendees a deeper look into the technical demands of producing the movie. Bruckheimer, wearing the stainless steel Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW328908) with a green dial - modeled after the one worn by Brad Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes - spoke about the parallels between creating cinematic thrills and crafting high-performance timepieces.
Joining the discussion was two-time Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, the film’s composer and a longtime IWC ambassador. Zimmer shared insights into how he translated the visceral energy of motorsport into music. Fittingly, he wore the Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701), a sophisticated complication boasting a moon phase accurate to 45 million years. Anyone care to volunteer to test this at the end of the term? Immortality is required.
IWC also displayed the full lineup of watches created for the APXGP team. These are fully functional timepieces worn by characters played by Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon, as well as actors portraying engineers, mechanics, and race strategists.
Set to hit theaters globally on June 27, 2025, F1 aims to deliver an unprecedented level of realism to the genre, and IWC’s contribution plays a visible role in what’s shaping up to be a major blockbuster.
The brand’s participation in the film goes beyond marketing alignment (although that’s certainly a major aim). It is a narrative partnership that highlights the symbiosis between mechanical mastery and storytelling. Hopefully the movie lives up to everyone’s expectations.
