Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP: IWC races ahead

The bond between IWC and Formula 1 is a long-standing and very strong one. The Schaffhausen-based brand has been a partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team for many years, to which it has dedicated several special editions of its Pilot’s Watch Chronograph, involving former team driver Lewis Hamilton in the design of some of the models. It is therefore no surprise that, at the latest edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva, the brand presented three watches closely linked to that world. And to the world of cinema. 

IWC has supported the production of a film dedicated to the F1 Circus, produced by Apple Original Film and set to hit box offices in summer 2025. ‘F1’, as the film starring Brad Pitt is titled, inspired the manufacturer to create three high-performance chronographs: the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph APXGP and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP. In this article, we’ll focus on the latest of these references, whose name, APXGP, is that of the fictional Formula 1 team in the film in which Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a former driver who returns to the Circus after years of absence.

IWC PILOT’S WATCH CHRONOGRAPH: FROM 43 TO 41 MM

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP is the classic IWC aviator’s watch that we know so well, and which is equally at home in the sky or on the race track. Its 41 mm case is the one that, starting in 2021, will characterise the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph. Long known for their 43 mm case, the watches in this collection lost those two millimetres in diameter four years ago, which re-balanced their aesthetics and made them more wearable and more appealing.

For the occasion, IWC did not just redesign the proportions of the case and dial, but also created a new in-house calibre, the 69385, for the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41. The new ‘engine’ replaced the previous movement fitted in the 43 mm case references. This was the 79320, developed on the basis of the ETA 7750. It was an important upgrade for a watch that, given its importance in the brand’s collections, absolutely needed to be powered by an in-house calibre.

THE AESTHETICS OF THE IWC PILOT’S WATCH CHRONOGRAPH 41 APXGP

What distinguishes the Pilot‘s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP from other IWC Pilot’s watches with a 41 mm diameter and 14.5 mm thick steel case is the aesthetics of the dial, for which the brand was inspired by the colours of the film’s racing team. The counters’ layout is classic: the 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, the 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, the continuous seconds counter at 6 o’clock, and the double date window at 3 o’clock.

What changes is the livery, which effectively recalls the gold and black colours, with a touch of white, of the imaginary APXGP team from the film. For the dial, IWC has chosen the deep black that has characterised its Pilot‘s Watch since its inception. A matte finish contrasts with the concentric finish used on the subdials and embeds all the aeronautical DNA of the collection, transferred to the race track.

Gold is used generously for all the counter indices and the dial’s minute track, as well as for the outline of all the hands and the chronograph seconds hand. It also appears on the IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN lettering, which, in keeping with the brand’s Pilot’s Watch tradition, accompanies the two date windows.

Finally, white is used to indicate the time. It can be found on the hour and minute hands and on the chronograph counters, as well as on the large Arabic numerals in Pilot style. All of these elements are coated with Super-LumiNova, a high-contrast luminescent material that ensures full legibility even in the dark. The date discs are also white. Normally, a date disc in the same colour as the dial gives a watch a cleaner look, but in this case, the choice of white contrasting with black is an excellent solution in terms of practicality, and visually unites the aesthetics of the timepiece with the hour markers.

MECHANICS AND POSITIONING: THE IWC STRATEGY

For the Pilot‘s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP, IWC has chosen to rely on the in-house calibre 69385 introduced in the 41 mm case references. As mentioned, this is an automatic movement developed directly by the brand based on another of its own calibres, the 69370. It is a robust and reliable chronograph calibre with a column wheel that equips virtually all watches in the collection with a 41 mm case.

It oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a relatively modest power reserve of 46 hours, made possible by a bidirectional pawl winding system. Unlike previous calibres, IWC has chosen to showcase the movement through the sapphire glass case back, because it is truly worth seeing. To maintain the sporty look and bond with the film, the case back glass is smoked and features the APXGP team logo printed in gold, completing the watch’s aesthetic consistency.

The APXGP logo is also laser-engraved on the black rubber strap, which features the EasX-CHANGE quick-change system developed by IWC. This allows the strap to be replaced at the touch of a button located between the lugs on the back.

Priced at 7,700 euros, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP is positioned at the entry level of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph collection. IWC is probably counting on this to make a watch that will be very visible in the film ‘F1’ even more appealing. The IWC brand will in fact be on the single-seaters, on the drivers’ racing suits and helmets, on the team uniforms, and in the pits. The watches in the collection will be worn by various characters and will also be present as the team’s official watches. This strategy goes beyond simple product placement and embraces a branding strategy in which a chronograph like this finds its ideal positioning.

By Davide Passoni