IN CONVERSATION WITH LEWIS HAMILTON
interview by JANA LETONJA & TIMI LETONJA
To celebrate 10 years of partnership with MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS Formula OneTM earlier this summer, IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN hosted their ambassador LEWIS HAMILTON. The event took place in the luxury watch manufacturer’s Amsterdam flagship boutique ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix. There, HAMILTON was spotted wearing a unique IWC PORTUGIESER TOURBILLON RÉTROGRADE CHRONOGRAPH watch, which was designed in collaboration with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion. The watch features a refined platinum case, a teal dial and a matching textile strap. The IWC-manufactured 89900 calibre drives a flying minute tourbillon, a chronograph function and a retrograde date display. This timepiece is one of a limited series of 44 – a reference to HAMILTON’s racing number since the beginning of his incredible career.
We had the honour to chat with HAMILTON, who is a style and fashion icon with global appeal, in addition to one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers of all time
What excites you the most about your ambassadorship with IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN, and how has the journey been working with the brand?
I’ve been with the brand for quite a long time now. One of the things I was most enthusiastic about was getting to understand watches, getting to work with such a prestigious brand, and ultimately getting to work on custom pieces. I’ve loved watches since I was a kid – I remember saving up to go and buy a classic timepiece, which was really cheap, from a local store when I was younger.
We’ve obviously been working together for many years, and we’ve done several different pieces together. I would say the part that excites me at the moment is the events that we’ve done recently. For example, we’ve done the IWC Chrono Challenge, organized in collaboration with Miami-based nonprofit Dibia DREAM, where we've started to really have a positive impact on communities. I think that's what I've enjoyed most with the partnership.
Which of the brand’s values do you most connect with?
Watchmaking is similar to making a car. For example, if you look at all those pieces in the back of those watches, you can see the innovation and precision. As a racing driver, you are chasing the clock all the time, to the thousandth of a second – and that is what IWC does with great detail.
Have you ever visited their manufacturing site?
Yeah, I’ve visited several times. It was an eye opening experience to see how many pieces go in the back of these watches and how they are perfectly crafted to fit in these tiny pieces. That’s extraordinary and was a really cool experience. It gave me an even bigger appreciation of watches. Since then, I’ve been a huge watch collector.
You are known for your style and fashion choices. How would you describe it?
I would say my style and fashion are evolving. I used to talk about it being urban chic. I guess it’s still like that, but there’s a lot more tailoring in what I wear today. Much more focused on the silhouette, but still mixing it up.
I’m learning more about up and coming designers. Each race weekend, I’m very conscious about what I wear and supporting people who don’t have funding or eyes on them currently. They are very talented and need to be seen.
How does the thrill of fashion compare to the thrill of driving Formula 1?
There's nothing like the thrill of driving a Formula 1 car. But what I love doing is working with people, and working in fashion. When you’re learning about fabrics, you learn about manufacturing and how to push those different manufacturers into discovering new materials. And then figuring how you piece them together, different silhouettes, different cuts, different bondings, all these sort of things have been something I’ve really enjoyed getting to learn about.
