I can’t think of many things I liked growing up but cars were definitely up there. Even before I loved watches, or Verdi, or Spongebob Squarepants (Yes, I will go down in history to be the first and only person to mention those last two in the same breath), I loved cars. It’s what little boys do; quite on the nose, really, to imagine great adventures with muscle cars and chunky bikes, so don’t go throwing the gender book at me.
In retrospect, it possibly wasn’t cars I liked but speed, because I remember confessing to wanting to be a fighter pilot when I grew up. I also remember enjoying highway drives because they made the world go by in a blur. Anything with whizz would get my attention. Pity that Doordarshan didn’t do Sunday broadcasts of F1 races back then for I am sure I would have been hooked.
Alas, time passed and the quotidian grind of studies, exams, breakups, and work, life weathered me down. The better I got to know myself and the world around me, my dreams were whittled away, exposing a humility with lowered expectations. The fighter pilot and firefighter dreams got parked along the way, replaced with a relentless pursuit of coveted seats in prestigious colleges, or letters of recommendation from people at work who I wouldn’t recommend to anybody really. And then, along came F1.
What is F1?
For those who know everything about the F1, well the two of you can skip ahead. The rest of you may read on. It’s a race format which debuted back in the 1950s. The cars were slower back then, but the safety was many more points behind. It was truly a death race. Today, an average race around a track covers around 305kms and takes under 2 hours to finish. But during this short period of 75 laps or so, the human body that is packed into the cockpit experiences forces of up to 6G! And when they brake, they go from 330kmph to 80kmph in under 3 seconds, which needs almost 150kgs of pedal pressure to engage. A fighter pilot, for comparison hits 6-9G but with a special suit and they still black out, and they will never decelerate at that rate. An F1 driver is going to hit 5G many more times and has no special suit to combat it. For further and more relatable context, if you were at your fittest, hitting the gym regularly, deadlifting an envious three-digit figure and all up on your electrolytes and proteins, you’d last maybe three laps, tops, if your neck doesn’t break under the equivalent of nearly 7.5kgs of weight tugging at it each way every time you turn.
Oh, and did I mention that the cockpit temperature can reach a scorching 60 degree Celsius? So, picture this, a man sitting in a fireproof suit, with a balaclava and gloves, and a helmet, all in a super-hot car (and not the “cool” kinda’ hot), driving the equivalent of a rocket on tarmac, one where braking is harder than the ground in free fall from a few storeys, and all this with only half the time of an average human being to react to every change, turn, brake or overtake decision. In two hours a driver loses almost 4kilos of weight and burns nearly 1500 calories, which is more than one does in a marathon; that’s F1 for you.
What Did IWC Schaffhausen do?
IWC Schaffhausen, for the uninitiated, is a historically proven and lauded maker of fine watches, all of which have stood the test of time and extreme conditions. Many brands claim racing as their DNA, but it rarely runs even tattoo-levels skin-deep. IWC, started as an engineering marvel with Swiss precision and efficiency, it was a tool before it was an ornament. Even today, this rings true across their ware and, while they certainly make some very pretty and covetable wrist-candy, they have never let go of that functional quotient which earned them their stars in first place. From pilot’s watches to marine chronometers, military-issue pieces to those specifically designed for engineers tinkering around in laboratories around magnetic fields, they mastered it all in their fabled history of nearly 125 years.
Where IWC has really stood out is with some very useful and landmark contributions to horology – ranging from early-adoption of materials like ceramic and titanium to making complications, well, less complicated and more practical in usage and design. They are considered among the most ornamental and yet practical of tool watches out there today.
Their long-standing association with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 was possibly a great segue to showcase just exactly what makes them tick.
F1 & IWC Schaffhausen – Game Recognise Game
There is one shared strain of DNA between fine watches and an F1 race – in either, the true beauty and skill remain almost unknown to the untrained eye. Most people buy a watch as a practical tool, and even for those who go further and spend to acquire a particular mode, are usually vying after a certain brand for its covet value. Few will truly ever understand the inner workings of a watch and exactly what is there to marvel at. Only a watchmaker can appreciate these finer aspects of a watch, the stuff that goes beyond the brand name and the wait list. Similarly, when slumped into the deepest recesses of comfy couches in our air-conditioned salons, enjoying a beer in one hand and a greasy possibly-fried snack in the other, we are utterly disconnected from all that the driver is enduring in that moment. We have no palpable way of appreciating just how demanding the conditions are and how much skill, training, talent and focus are needed to execute what we see look like a smooth reel on screen. We hear the music but we have no idea of just how many musicians are harmoniously performing to put it all together.
Well, IWC figured a way to leverage their F1 partnership and bring the idea of “understanding this effort” to us in person. What they have on hand not only packages and presents their motorsport legacy, it does so in the most perceptibly relatable way for the average bloke. They designed an F1 simulator which gives the user a very first-hand idea of just how tough an F1 race can be.
If you have raced on a PlayStation then get ready to have your jaw meet floor. This isn’t just a car race around a track, this is a precise recreation of some world famous F1 tracks, alongside a car which not only accelerates and moves like an F1 car, it makes it evermore real with haptic feedbacks through the steering wheel, and a sense of G-force every time you accelerate or brake. Sure, it isn’t 6G, but it is a respectable 2G, or more. It’s immersive and unparalleled in the most meaningfully engaging way possible.
This is truly a three-way win – IWC gets to showcase their sporting lineage with a beautiful lineup of watches that match the joy and rush of an F1 race as interpreted through horology. F1 gets to reach out as a sport and garner more respect and curious followers. And we as people who may happen to be at Emporio mall in the coming few days get a chance to do what many of us possibly dreamt of as tiny tots – zoom around a race track in a top-grade real race car, minus the fear of a broken neck or displaced spine.
Ten-Minute Takeaway
I may never be an F1 driver but the 10 minutes or so I spent in that simulator were enough to humble me. I came out a ball of sweat, palms wet, spine still tingling, and an ego very suitably deflated. I think we should get every speed monster a lap (or four) in this – will surely make our roads much safer. For those interested, connect with the team at Kapoor Watch Co. to book online. The simulator is on display in Delhi till 27th January, 2026 and the slots are limited so hone your senses and act fast, you’ll certainly need those reflexes once you are locked inside that cockpit.
In addition to the thrill of racing, you may discover 7 IWC Schaffhausen watches on display that complement the racing experience.
- Pilot’s Watch Mark Xx Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Reference Number: IW328210
- Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team”, Reference Number: IW388108
- Pilot’s Watch Chronograph APXGP, Reference Number: IW378009
- Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Performance, Reference Number: IW388309
- Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG, Reference Number: IW338305
- Pilot’s Watch Performace Chronograph, Reference Number: IW388304
- Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes- AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Reference Number: IW388306
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives