Watch Paparazzi

Pilot Lewis Hamilton spotted wearing IWC

Lewis Hamilton was spotted wearing the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Reference IW500901 during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, one of the most storied events on the Formula 1 calendar — and the occasion on which the seven-time world champion finally secured his first pole position at the Principality. The pairing of a serious mechanical watch with one of motorsport's most demanding circuits felt entirely appropriate.

The IWC Big Pilot's Watch IW500901 is a stainless steel, 46.2mm instrument built around IWC's Calibre 51111, a manually wound movement with a column-wheel mechanism and a power reserve of approximately 168 hours — seven full days. That figure is not marketing copy; it derives from a twin mainspring barrel arrangement that traces its conceptual lineage directly to IWC's pocket-watch era movements. The black dial carries a large central seconds hand, a small subsidiary seconds register at nine o'clock, and the signature oversized crown — originally engineered so that pilots wearing heavy gloves could adjust the time without removing them. The reference IW500901 represents the core, no-complication expression of the Big Pilot family, introduced in its modern form in 2002 and refined over successive generations.

Among collectors, the Big Pilot's Watch occupies a respected tier: it is unambiguously large, unapologetically functional, and historically grounded. The 2002 relaunch brought the model back into relevance after IWC's original Mark 11 and its derivatives, and the IW500901 configuration — steel case, no date, clean dial architecture — is consistently regarded as the purest version. It avoids the complications that can dilute the watch's utilitarian character and remains the reference point against which every subsequent Big Pilot variant is measured.

Hamilton has a well-documented interest in watches spanning multiple luxury brands, and his choice of the IWC Big Pilot's Watch IW500901 here is notable for its restraint. Given the occasion — one of the most glamorous weekends in world sport — reaching for a manually wound steel pilot's watch rather than a high-complication or bejewelled piece says something about the wearer's relationship with the object.

At a UK RRP of approximately £9,300, the IWC Big Pilot's Watch IW500901 sits in a competitive segment of the market. On the secondary market, steel examples trade close to or modestly below retail, reflecting steady demand without speculative pressure — the hallmark of a watch people actually intend to wear.