IWC and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff team up for a special Big Pilot’s Shock Absorber XPL
Borna Bošnjak- IWC brings back the Shock Absorber XPL, this time with Petronas green highlights reflecting the prototype worn by Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff.
- Capable of withstanding shocks of up to 30,000gs, the lightened automatic movement is suspended by the SPRIN-g PROTECT system.
- The new Shock Absorber XPL sports Toto Wolff’s signature emblazoned on the caseback, and it’s a limited edition of 100 pieces, with pricing to be confirmed.
Though it was once easy to relate to its simpler pilot’s watches, IWC has certainly made sure it won’t be pigeonholed into a single category over the last few years. While still delivering time-only and chronograph pilot’s pieces, we’ve seen a return to “designer” watchmaking with the Ingenieur, experimenting with materials to further diversify it’s Pilot’s Watch offerings, and venture further into the world of complications with the Portugieser Eternal Calendar. Every once in a while, we’re treated to a piece that doesn’t quite fit into any of its major marketing strategies, and the IWC Big Pilot’s Shock Absorber XPL is just such a piece. For any other brand, delivering such a unique bit of tech with an avant-garde design (and price point) would be a huge novelty, but the XPL has remained underrated, likely in part to its limited, 30-piece run. Just in time for the 2025 Formula 1 season, however, the Shock Absorber XPL is back with a fresh coat of Petronas green, and with backing from the coolest cat in the paddock – Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff.
Let’s get right into what makes the Shock Absorber XPL special – you’ll forgive me for not referring to it by its full name: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team. Though the calibre is based on IWC’s commonly used 32100 architecture, it’s been modified with aluminium parts to make it as light as possible. As for the movement itself, it sports the expected five-day power reserve that these movements will get you, beating at 4Hz.
But the real trick is in what surrounds the movement. Highlighted in Petronas green, the cantilever system that suspends it inside the case, and is what allows the Shock Absorber XPL to endure up to 30,000g. Made of bulk metallic glass (the same material the likes of AP use for some Royal Oaks), the SPRIN-g PROTECT system, as IWC calls it, absorbs and moves shocks away from the movement, dissipating it evenly. This also involves a new way of connecting the crown to the movement, in a way that allows the latter to move about the case independently.
Rather than just colouring the strap and spring system in Petronas colours, IWC adds a few more visual updates to the Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff. The dial steps away from the almost prototype-like look of the original, adapting a design much more in line with the overall avant-garde look of the watch. The sword hands are now skeletonised and with unique lume, while the dial becomes more three-dimensional and loses its Arabic hour markers.
If you want to keep the Petronas green reserved for highlighting the protective spring system, IWC also supply a black rubber strap with a synthetic outer lining. In fact, this look is probably my favourite, given the ultra-stealth overall aesthetic that really makes the watch look like a high-end piece of kit.
Sorry @Bose 😬😅💥 pic.twitter.com/1Go0R1WytJ
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 7, 2021
Whether you’re driving through Suzuka’s 130R or Istanbul Park’s quad-apex Diabolica and experiencing 5Gs of sustained load – or smashing a pair of Bose headphones – the tech is impressive, and it’s cool to see a production variant of the prototype Wolff has actually been wearing. While IWC is no stranger to high complication, such an avant-garde take is certainly out of most big box brands’ comfort zones, and it’s fun seeing IWC stepping out of it.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team price and availability
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is a limited edition of 100 pieces. Pricing is yet to be revealed, but will probably exceed the CHF 80,000 price tag of the original Shock Absorber XPL.
| Brand | IWC |
| Model | Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team |
| Reference | IW356201 |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) x 12mm (T) |
| Case material | Ceratanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Matte black, Petronas green highlights |
| Bracelet and strap | Petronas green rubber strap, pin buckle Black rubber strap, pin buckle |
| Movement | IWC 32115, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 120 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, SPRIN-g PROTECT |
| Availability | Limited to 100 pieces |
| Price | TBC |