One Swiss brand outshines Hollywood's hottest premiere

George Russell attends the World Premiere of F1 The Movie in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City.

The Ingenieur That Made the Grid and the Red Carpet

Let’s be honest — this wasn’t just any watch strolling onto the F1 movie red carpet. This was the watch. The one that had already done laps in our imaginations the moment Brad Pitt teased it while suiting up as Sonny Hayes. And just when we thought it was another Hollywood prop destined to disappear into the costume archive, IWC dropped the hammer and gave the people what they wanted: the Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW328908).

Fast forward to Monday’s premiere, and who else but George Russell — the silver-suited knight of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 — shows up with this timepiece strapped to his wrist like a secret weapon. From reel life to real life, the Ingenieur completed its victory lap by leaping off Brad Pitt’s cuff and landing squarely in the high-stakes world of F1 royalty.

In motorsport and watchmaking, timing is everything. And George’s timing? Impeccable.

Damson Idris attends the World Premiere of F1 The Movie in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City.

Damson Idris Brings the Gold Standard to the Grid

If George Russell was playing it cool with steel, Damson Idris turned up the heat — and the karats. Striding onto the F1 movie premiere carpet in a razor-sharp three-piece pinstripe, the British star (Pitt’s teammate on screen, gentleman-in-command off it) was armed with one of IWC’s most opulent heavy-hitters: the Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW328702), now in full 18K 5N gold glory.

Let’s get one thing clear: this isn’t just a flashy wrist flex. This is Genta DNA reimagined — a vintage ‘70s blueprint, resurrected, reborn, and bathed in precious metal. At 40mm, it strikes that perfect balance between boardroom authority and racetrack bravado. The signature “grid” dial? Inky black and framed by solid gold indices that catch the light from every angle.

And with 120 hours of power reserve under that gold bonnet, the only thing running longer than this watch is Damson’s rising star. The Ingenieur may be new to IWC’s modern line-up, but with Idris wearing it like it was forged just for him, it’s already claiming podiums in both cinema and style.

Javier Bardem attends the World Premiere of F1 The Movie in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City.

The Heavy Hitters

Javier Bardem arrived looking like he could intimidate a Rolex Submariner into submission, sporting the IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 (Ref. IW344903). This isn't your grandfather's dress watch – it's 41mm of stainless steel brutality wrapped around one of horology's most complex complications. The blue dial perpetual calendar sits pretty on an integrated bracelet that screams Gerald Genta DNA, because apparently Bardem doesn't do subtle villains or subtle timepieces.

If you're going to wear a perpetual calendar to a movie premiere, might as well pick one that could probably calculate your next mortgage payment while timing your lap around Silverstone.

Kerry Condon attends the World Premiere of F1® The Movie in Times Square on June 16, 2025 in New York City.

The Elegant Assassin

Kerry Condon took a different approach, opting for the IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 (Ref. IW659801) – 54 diamonds dancing around a blue dial like stars over the Amalfi Coast. It's the kind of watch that whispers rather than shouts, proving that not every timepiece needs to bench press its complications to get noticed.

The Portofino is IWC's love letter to Italian sophistication, and Condon wore it like she invented elegance. Sometimes the most powerful statement is the one you don't have to make twice.

Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon are seen on June 14, 2025 in New York City.

The Plot Twist

But here's where things get interesting: Ines de Ramon, spotted days before the premiere alongside Brad Pitt, was quietly flexing the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 (Ref. IW324903) in full yellow gold. While the paparazzi were busy capturing Pitt's latest "casual stroll through Manhattan" performance, watch nerds were doing double-takes at her wrist.

The 35mm Ingenieur walks that razor-thin line between vintage cool and modern minimalism – compact enough to slip under a shirt cuff, bold enough to make you forget about whatever else you were looking at. It's the horological equivalent of a perfect supporting actor: never overshadows the lead, but steals every scene it's in.

The Master Strategy

This wasn't accidental. IWC's partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 means they understand the intersection of speed, precision, and showmanship better than most. But placing three different Ingenieurs on three different A-list wrists at Hollywood's motorsport moment of the year? That's strategic genius masquerading as coincidence.

The Ingenieur collection has been enjoying a quiet renaissance since its 2024 relaunch, and seeing it dominate the F1 premiere feels like watching a comeback story unfold in real-time. From Bardem's perpetual calendar powerhouse to de Ramon's golden minimalism, IWC demonstrated that good design transcends gender, age, and even Hollywood politics.

The Checkered Flag

While everyone else will remember this premiere for the star power and the roar of fictional F1 engines, watch enthusiasts will remember it as the night IWC reminded us why Swiss precision and Hollywood glamour make such good bedfellows.

The F1 movie hits theaters June 26th. The watches? They were already there, quietly dominating every frame.