Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen have partnered up to produce a pair of special watches with a style inspired by the iconic G-Class, specifically, the ultra-limited G63 Grand Edition. IWC Big Pilot’s Watch AMG 63 Based on the Swiss watchmaker’s Big Pilot timepiece, the collaboration is a match made in heaven, given the history of both products.
Both IWC’s Big Pilot and the G-Class started as dependable tools – the former for navigators during the 1940s, the latter as a utilitarian workhorse utilized by various users ranging from farmers to the German army.
Some folks still use the Big Pilot watch and the G-Class for their original purposes, but it is far more common nowadays to see them used as lifestyle accessories for socialites and celebrities. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch AMG 63 Editions are inspired by the black and gold colors of the G-Class G 63 AMG Grand Edition. Model IW501201 comes with a vibrant 18-carat “Gold Armor,” which is said to be more durable than plain gold. The other, model IW506201, assumes a stealthier appearance thanks to its black ceramic color.
Both timepieces are meticulously handcrafted and require multiple days to produce. They each feature 100 meters of water resistance, IWC’s 52010 automatic movement, and up to seven days of power reserve. Size-wise, both have a diameter of 46.5 millimeters (1.8 inches), living up to their name. As far as first impressions go, both timepieces are on the quiet, utilitarian side of the design totem pole. They look heaps more practical than that one-million-dollar monstrosity from Bugatti, and instead, they remind us of the attractive simplicity of the pieces from Porsche Design. It’s especially interesting that the Three-pointed Star does not appear on the watch face, but the resulting aesthetic is nice and clean.
Price-wise, the gold-tinged IW501201 retails for $230. The black-colored IW506201 is a bit pricier at around $230. You can view both on the official IWC Schaffhausen online store, but they’re not available to purchase online.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of IWC’s longtime partnership with Mercedes-AMG. To commemorate this milestone, the luxury Swiss watchmaker has crafted two new special editions of the Big Pilot’s Watch, both borrowing design cues from the iconic G-Class model.
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch AMG 63 arrives in two different builds, one starring an 18-carat Armor Gold case and crown, while the other is cased in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) that’s closely engineered with the help of the German Aerospace Center. Both versions are fitted with embossed dials in black, which feature a technical and relief-like structure that nods to the air intakes of Mercedes-AMG performance cars.
Housed inside each watch runs IWC’s very own 52010 caliber, a high-end, precise, and technically robust movement that offers a seven-day power reserve. The movement can be observed via the watch’s tinted sapphire crystal caseback, emblazoned with Mercedes-Benz’s hallmarked star logo at the center.
Measuring 46.2mm in case width, and 14.5mm in thickness, the duo of IWC Big Pilot’s Watch AMG 63 timekeepers are both accompanied by black rubber straps, fitted with microfiber inlays. To find out more about the watches’ availability and price points, head over to IWC’s official website.