This is not the first time Wolff has worn the watch under pressure. A prototype version survived an unplanned impact during the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend when he struck a desk in frustration. That footage circulated widely and has since become part of the XPL story.
Over the past few Formula One seasons, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Team Principal has become known not just for strategic precision, but for moments of very visible frustration. Headset slams, stern radio calls, and cold press conferences have become part of his presence on the pit wall. Which makes him, intentionally or not, an effective stress test for a watch designed to survive physical shock.
IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL is exactly that. And the piece now headed to auction is the very one worn by Wolff during the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix. The sale, hosted by Bonhams, benefits the Laureus Foundation Switzerland. Along with the watch comes a signed white Mercedes team polo. Bidding is open online through 25 October and will close live during the Laureus Charity Night in Zurich.
The reference is IW356201. Only 100 pieces will be produced, but this is the only one with race provenance. It was worn on a hot, high-pressure night in Singapore, where Mercedes driver George Russell secured the win.
Unlike other models in the Big Pilot line, the XPL series is focused less on aviation nostalgia and more on pure survivability. The design comes out of IWC’s experimental engineering division and centers around the SPRIN-g PROTECT system, a spring-based suspension architecture that protects the movement from shock. The spring is made of bulk metallic glass, a material that bends and disperses force rather than transferring it. IWC reports that the system can withstand accelerations over 30,000 g.
The watch is designed to function where most mechanical timepieces fail, and to make its case through performance rather than polish. Bonhams has set the estimate at CHF 80,000 to 200,000. For reference, a similar Wolff-worn IWC raised £160,000 at auction in 2022. Given the race-worn provenance and the charitable cause, expectations are measured but confident.
The Laureus Foundation Switzerland uses sport to support youth through programs that promote inclusion, self-confidence, and resilience. IWC has partnered with the foundation since 2005 and contributes a one-off timepiece to its annual fundraiser each year.
This particular watch stands out not just for its rarity, but for how clearly it fits its context. It is a piece of modern mechanical engineering, worn in competition, now offered in service of something beyond the paddock. For some collectors, that intersection of utility, narrative, and purpose is exactly where the real value begins.
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