Inside Lewis Hamilton’s luxury watch collection: the F1 icon sports IWC, including a custom Black Lives Matter Ceratanium – he also loves Rolex and Patek Philippe
- The British Formula One champion protested its no jewellery rule by donning three IWC watches, including the new Chronograph 41 Edition Mercedes-AMG Petronas
- He wore the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition on his milestone win and also owns a rare Rolex Daytona worth US$50,000 and two Patek Philippe Nautilus
Reuters stated that the rule was created so racers wouldn’t suffer injuries from accidents because of their jewellery and so accessories wouldn’t get in the way when doctors tried to do immediate first aid on the racers.
But Hamilton is having none of that. As per Robb Report, he said, “I’ve been in the sport for 16 years and I’ve been wearing jewellery for 16 years. In the car, I only ever have my earrings on and my nose ring, which I can’t even remove. It seems unnecessary for us to get into this spat.”
As a lover of jewellery and watches, Hamilton doesn’t seem to want to back down – since he’s quite fond of wearing them himself. Here are five of his most prized pieces, from the ones he endorses to his forever favourites.
1. IWC Black Lives Matter Certanium
While Hamilton is a brand ambassador for IWC watches, he doesn’t just wear them as a fashion or status statement. During the qualifiers for the Grand Prix of Austria in 2020, he was spotted wearing an IWC Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar in a never-before-seen design that was made just for him.
It comes in an elegant yet simple design of matt black finish, black-on-black subdials and a unique bracelet made with a blend of ceramic and titanium, according to GQ. Hamilton wore the watch, called the Black Lives Matter Ceratanium, to show his support for the movement. Monochrome Watches stated that this was the first time in history that a metallic bracelet has ever appeared on a Big Pilot’s Watch.