To celebrate the opening of its new boutique at the Battersea Power Station in London, IWC Schaffhausen organised an exclusive esports event together with its partners, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports Team. Consisting of two teams racing each other virtually on the Silverstone racetrack, the “iRacing Esports Sim Challenge” was live streamed from the boutique on Twitch and followed by a global audience. Victory went to the team coached by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One driver George Russell.
IWC Schaffhausen has a long-standing passion for motorsport and racing – and that passion extends even beyond the physical racetrack. When announcing a multi-year extension of its partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team earlier this year, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer also became a sponsor of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports Team. The partners have since joined forces to organise the virtual “iRacing Esports Sim Challenge,” marking the opening of IWC’s new boutique in London.
The challenge consisted of two teams racing each other virtually on the Silverstone racetrack. One team was coached prior to the event by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team driver George Russell, the other one by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports Team driver Jarno Opmeer. Preceding the event was an extensive qualifying session, during which interested motorsport fans could win a place on one of the two teams. During the first phase in October, gaming enthusiasts from around the United Kingdom competed in two online events to secure their position on the virtual grid. The last phase of qualifying then took place from December 5th to 7th at the Battersea Power Station boutique, where gamers could test their driving skills in an official Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports simulator.
MANY GUESTS CHEERED FOR THE PLAYERS AT THE BOUTIQUE
Among the guests attending the event were motorsport presenter and content creator Emma Walsh, presenter and content creator Harry Pinero, poet and BBC Radio London presenter LionHeart, IWC-CEO Chris Grainger-Herr and Grant Wilson, IWC’s Brand Director for the United Kingdom. Jarno Opmeer, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports Team driver and two-time F1 Esports Pro Series Drivers’ Champion was also present to cheer for the participants. A global audience followed the virtual racing action on the interactive live-streaming platform Twitch. The members of the winning team will be invited to a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One factory tour and simulator experience in Brackley. In addition, the player with the fastest recorded lap received a Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team,” the first official team watch IWC developed for its partner.
NEW IWC BOUTIQUE IN AN ICONIC LONDON LANDMARK
The challenge marked the official opening of IWC’s new boutique at the Battersea Power Station, one of London’s most iconic landmarks. Inspired by the IWC Big Pilot, the boutique highlights key aspects such as IWC’s unique engineering approach or comprehensive expertise in advanced materials like ceramics or Ceratanium. Visitors can discover IWC’s main collections, such as the Pilot’s Watches, the Portugieser, and the Portofino. As a particular highlight, they can put their watchmaking skills to the test assembling an original IWC-manufactured 69000 chronograph movement. Via live stream, a watchmaker from IWC’s headquarters in Schaffhausen, will guide those at the boutique through every step of the complex assembly process.
The challenge marked the official opening of IWC’s new boutique at the Battersea Power Station, one of London’s most iconic landmarks.
