IWC - New Prominent Friends of the Brand
The partnership between IWC and Mercedes-Benz' performance brand AMG started in 2004, as a venture between two companies with a long and successful history in precision engineering and a shared commitment to pushing back the boundaries of mechanics and high technology. IWC's appointment as Official Engineering Partner to the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team earlier this year was confirmation of the close ties between the two companies. Now, in a move that will further cement the partnership between the luxury watch manufacturer and the racing team, the two drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have become Friends of the Brand. They are first racing drivers in a select group of world-famous celebrities.
The Quest for Perfection
Commenting on the appointment of the brand's two newest ambassadors Georges Kern, CEO of IWC, said with pride: "Lewis and Nico are two amazing personalities who work every day at getting that little bit more performance out of themselves and their cars. In their own inimitable way, the two of them represent all that is best about IWC Schaffhausen. I am deeply moved that I am now able to call them Friends of the Brand."
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are relentless in their quest for perfection - a quality they share with IWC's designers, technicians and master watchmakers. Lewis Hamilton is a declared aficionado of fine watchmaking and clearly recognizes the similarities between his profession and the watches made by IWC Schaffhausen: "I love wristwatches, and it seems to me that those made by IWC have a lot in common with Formula One™ drivers: they're unique, high-performance watches and are among the best in their field. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to our partnership with the company."
Nico Rosberg's ties with the watch manufacturer from Schaffhausen started when his father gave him an IWC years ago. "From that moment on I was hooked, especially on watches by IWC: the designs are simply unique. But it isn't just the outside: the cases are packed with state-of-the-art technology and high performance. Becoming a Friend of the Brand is like being reunited with an old acquaintance. My first watch was an IWC, a gift from my father."
Championship Performance
As drivers in the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are in the spotlight 20 times a year. Behind the scenes is the painstaking work carried out by the team's engineers and technicians, who work to ensure that everything on race day runs with the precision and predictability of a watch movement.
As Georges Kern points out: "There's a sense of pride in the craftsmanship, the innovation and the pioneering spirit that goes into everything we turn our hands to. And the proof of our success is in the reception our products receive on a global platform. Like MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the force that drives us constantly is the will to be world champions at what we do."