Going, going, gone! Lewis Hamilton’s IWC team watch raises CHF 220,000 for charity at auction

Jamie Weiss

There are just five races left in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, meaning there are only five more races where Sir Lewis Hamilton, arguably the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, will be racing for Mercedes… And therefore probably only five more races where we’ll see the champ regularly wearing IWC watches in the F1 paddock. But IWC is taking a “don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened” approach to Lewis leaving the Mercedes/IWC fold – indeed, they’ve used this changing of the guard to do a good thing and raise a significant chunk of change for charity. Last night in Zürich, Bonhams auctioned off Hamilton’s IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (ref. IW388306) for an impressive CHF 220,000 (~US$254,300, A$379,000) at the Laureus Charity Night, with all proceeds supporting Laureus Sport for Good.

This watch is significant as it’s the one Hamilton wore on the podium when celebrating his win at the 2024 British Grand Prix earlier this year: his ninth win at his home race, and his first win since 2021, breaking a win drought in a cathartic fashion in what’s proven to be one of the most emotional moments in F1 in recent memory. The 2024 season might not be over yet, but Hamilton’s win at Silverstone has felt like a fitting close on his time with Mercedes, a team with which Hamilton has won 84 Grands Prix and six Driver’s Championships. The watch was offered alongside a pair of signed racing gloves worn by Hamilton during the race, which feature a graphic of the watch.

Founded in 2000 under Nelson Mandela’s patronage, Laureus Sport for Good is a global charitable organisation that “uses sport as a powerful and cost-effective tool to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination, and disadvantage in their lives,” and supports more than 300 programmes in over 40 countries. IWC has been a long-time partner of Laureus, having created several limited-edition watches in support of the charity as well as donating watches like they’ve done here with Lewis’ team watch.

First released late last year, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 – produced in collaboration with Mercedes – is the first proper motorsports chronograph from the Schaffhausen brand, blending their classic pilot’s watch aesthetics with that of a racing chrono. To have one worn by Lewis Hamilton himself is particularly special, though… Not that I think the auction winner is likely to strap such a collectable watch to their wrist any time soon.