IWC has been an official partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team since 2013, and in that time we’ve seen a number of special creations and limited editions inspired by the relationship, some of which lean fully into the Petronas green portion of the car’s livery. But there’s another color pairing that we first saw last year in the form of a one-off Ingenieur customized by Geroge Bamford for the team’s British driver, George Russell. That pairing is a unique light blue and black ceramic. It’s a scheme we see in Russell’s helmet design, and even his own personal AMG-One supercar. Heading into the 2026 season, IWC is releasing a pair of Pilot watches that embrace the color, and set Russell as a key figure looking ahead.
George Russell has held the lead driver role at Mercedes since Lewis Hamilton’s shock departure for Ferrari in 2025, and he’s largely remained one the sport’s most consistent figures in that time. The team is well positioned with one of the most robust new engines of the regulation set, and potentially one of the star drivers of the future in the young Kimi Antonelli. Obviously, this puts their partners, including IWC, in an enviable position to take advantage of the spotlight. Just how they end up doing that over the course of the season remains to be seen, but it’s worth noting that some of the strongest releases from the brand in recent years have been tied to their relationship with the Mercedes F1 team.
One common thread shared by these watches is their unapologetic use of color, and that’s a theme they are returning to with this pair of watches done with George Russell. The underlying formula remains unchanged: 41mm black ceramic Pilot’s watches, one in time and date form, with the other sporting a chronograph. Russell’s signature blue jumps off the matte black canvas in the case of each of the watches, and if there’s a little too much green in the Petronas colorways, you find a more stable application of pure blue to enjoy here. Both use manufacturer movements (32112 for the time only; 69380 for the chronograph) behind closed casebacks.
On the wrist, you won’t notice any direct connection between the watch and George Russell or even F1 for that matter, so being a fan of the sport or even this particular driver isn’t a prerequisite. However, turning the watch over will yield a view of an engraved caseback bearing the number ‘63’ which Russell races with. Each of the watches are limited to 1,063 pieces.
These are both sharp watches, and while they don’t exactly break any new ground, they do continue to show just how versatile the base designs are. The current Pilot watch stable has become quite expansive at this point, with all manner of materials, colors, complications, and even naming conventions… which mean that new releases such as this, while compelling in their own right, only further muddy the water of what used to be a very straightforward collection.
There are Pilot’s watches (worn by actual pilots, of which IWC boasts many), and then there are “Pilot’s” watches, which are only thematically housed in the collection, though serve to represent the brand’s relationship across a range of activities, including Formula 1. These are the watches for the rest of us, but when you try to make a collection of watches everything for everyone, it tends to lose sight of its identity at the end of the day. I’m not sure if these latest watches help or hurt in regards to that identity, but it’s another example of a watch or two that raises the question.
The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 George Russell is priced at $12,900, while the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 George Russell is priced at $8,900. IWC