IWC Schaffhausen premieres its new IWC Spitfire collection campaign movie, starring brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton. The five-time Formula OneTM World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, appears alongside a Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow race car and a Silver Spitfire aircraft. Text and images IWC Schaffhausen.
IWC is releasing this film as part of an extensive global advertising campaign revolving around its new Pilot’s Watches. In the movie, Lewis Hamilton is driving the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow W 125 around the Goodwood Race Track, when a Spitfire aircraft overtakes him. As the Spitfire approaches again in low flight, he pushes the “stop” button on his Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire. Time freezes and the aircraft comes to a complete standstill in mid-air. After admiring the Spitfire from different angles, Hamilton releases it by pressing the push-button on his chronograph watch. The film ends with the slogan, “I can stop time, but nothing stops me”, highlighting the Formula OneTM star as a man who is in control of his destiny, wearing a watch designed for individuals who require precision to master new challenges.
The new movie is a natural evolution of the 2017 campaign, which also featured IWC brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton. In the previous film, Hamilton used his Ingenieur Chronograph to stop time and halt the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow W 196 in its tracks. While the concept remains the same, the addition of the Spitfire brings together the worlds of vintage motorsport and aviation. By creating a link between these two fundamental pillars of the IWC universe, the film celebrates the brand’s passion for mechanics and engineering. The relationship between Hamilton and IWC builds on the long-standing and fruitful collaboration between the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport.
” With the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow W 125, a Spitfire aircraft and our new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire, the movie brings together the spirit of adventure of the driver with the performance, precision and beauty of the machine. We pair these icons with IWC brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton, who is not only a living legend in his sport but also a style icon. In doing so, we underscore IWC’s appeal to a discerning audience with an appreciation of masterful engineering and timeless design,” – Franziska Gsell, CMO IWC Schaffhausen
SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE GOODWOOD RACE TRACK
The movie was shot on the Goodwood Estate in the South of England. IWC has strong ties to this country retreat, which has been synonymous with the exhilarating worlds of aviation and motorsports for decades. In 2015, the brand became the Official Timing Partner of the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, an exclusive classic motor racing event. Goodwood Aerodrome is also the home of the Boultbee Flight Academy, the first recognised Spitfire flight school in the world, which has had a close partnership with IWC since 2018. Pilots Steve Boultbee-Brooks and Matt Jones will take off from Goodwood this August for the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” expedition: the first circumnavigation of the globe in a Spitfire. IWC Schaffhausen is lending its support to this exciting project as the main sponsor.
GOODWOOD MEMBERS’ MEETING
The Members’ Meeting was established by the Goodwood Road Racing Club in 2014. It evokes the atmosphere and camaraderie of the 71 Members’ Meetings held by the British Automobile Racing Club between 1949 and 1966. The Members’ Meeting is an event for those part of the GRRC, where guests have access to all areas in an intimate, relaxed environment. The event offers a unique setting in which to celebrate the historic motorsport season. It is the perfect accompaniment to the renowned Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and the Revival Meeting in September.
BOULTBEE FLIGHT ACADEMY
Boultbee Flight Academy is the world’s first Spitfire training school and approved Spitfire flight provider and is owned by British pilots Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee-Brooks. Boultbee Flight Academy offers Spitfire experience flights and a ground-breaking Spitfire flight simulator to non-pilots and Spitfire training to certified pilots. Boultbee Flight Academy offers flights and experiences around the UK in an ever-expanding number of locations. Its headquarters are based at Goodwood Aerodrome, West Sussex, its proximity to the white cliffs of Beachy Head and the Needles meaning the Spitfire flying experience can be conducted around one of the most iconic landscapes on the south coast of the United Kingdom.
For more information, please visit the IWC Schaffhausen Website.