Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, IWC unveils a new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with a purple dial inspired by Singapore’s national flower.
Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix this October, IWC Schaffhausen introduces a new expression of its longstanding partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team (Ref. IW388121) arrives with a striking new detail: a deep, saturated purple dial, marking the first time the color has appeared in IWC’s Pilot’s Watch collection.
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The New Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Pays Homage To Singapore’s National Flower
The new chronograph takes its inspiration from the Vanda Miss Joaquim, Singapore’s national flower. Bred in 1893 by Armenian-Singaporean horticulturist Agnes Joaquim, the orchid serves as the inspiration for the watch’s distinctive purple dial, while its associations with resilience, boldness, and innovation echo the shared values behind the IWC and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS partnership.
Set against the rich purple surface are details in the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team’s signature green. The numerals and indices carry the team’s recognizable color, while luminescent coating on the hands and markers ensures legibility in low-light conditions—a particularly fitting detail for a timepiece unveiled in anticipation of Formula 1’s iconic night race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The color story continues with a purple rubber strap fitted with IWC’s EasX-CHANGE® system, allowing for quick interchangeability at the push of a button. The release also coincides with a new Adidas collection centered on adaptive precision in Formula 1™ engineering and the sportswear brand’s performance-driven identity.
The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, Examined
The 41mm case is crafted from Grade 5 titanium, chosen for its combination of strength, lightness, resistance to heat, and corrosion resistance. At 14.5mm thick, the case is finished with a brushed surface that accentuates titanium’s characteristic silvery-grey tone. The material also has a direct connection to motorsport, where high-strength titanium alloys are used in components including connecting rods, valves, and the Halo safety structure.
Powering the watch is the IWC-manufactured 69385 caliber, an automatic mechanical chronograph built around a column-wheel architecture. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and equipped with 33 jewels, it offers a 46-hour power reserve. IWC’s signature vertical subdial configuration places the chronograph minutes at 12 o’clock, while a combined day-date display sits at 3 o’clock. Geneva stripes and circular graining decorate the movement, which is visible through the sapphire-glass caseback.
Water-resistant to 10 bar and fitted with a convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, the IW388121 balances the functional character of IWC’s Pilot’s Watch lineage with a more expressive palette.
As the fourth official team watches to emerge from the partnership, the new edition follows releases in 2022, 2023, and 2025. It will be worn by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team personnel, from mechanics and engineers at the circuit to staff at the team’s Brackley headquarters.
The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team brings a distinctly Singaporean note to IWC’s Formula 1 story, pairing the technical character of its titanium chronograph with a dial color that’s both unexpected and immediately identifiable.
Photos courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen
Frequently Asked Questions
IWC’s new release is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team (Ref. IW388121). The 41mm titanium chronograph was unveiled ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix and features a deep purple dial inspired by Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim.
The purple dial is inspired by the Vanda Miss Joaquim, Singapore’s national flower. Bred in 1893 by Armenian-Singaporean horticulturist Agnes Joaquim, the orchid is associated with resilience, boldness, and innovation. The release also marks the first time a purple dial has appeared in IWC’s Pilot’s Watch collection.
The watch features a 41mm Grade 5 titanium case with a height of 14.5mm. It is powered by IWC’s 69385 automatic mechanical chronograph movement, which operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, has 33 jewels, and offers a 46-hour power reserve. The watch is also water-resistant to 10 bar and fitted with a sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating on both sides.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team is powered by the IWC-manufactured 69385 caliber. The automatic mechanical chronograph uses a column-wheel architecture and features a vertical subdial layout, chronograph minutes at 12 o’clock, a combined day-date display at 3 o’clock, and a 46-hour power reserve.
No. The IW388121 is the fourth official team watch released through the partnership. Earlier releases include the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition from 2022, the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 from 2023, and the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX released in 2025.
