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Brad Pitt Stars in the recent and trending "F1: The Movie" wearing a vintage inspired IWC Ingenieur specifically made for his protagonistic role as Sonny Hayes
The coveted actor, Brad Pitt added to his successful resumé with the latest release F1: The Movie in which he stars as the protagonist Sonny Hayes. A truly captivating and exciting film that displayed impressive acting performances with thrilling visuals has made this one of the most successful films this year already.
Reportedly, there was a budget of $200 million to $300 million and that was reflected in the film through the extensive cast and insane production. Whilst the majority of fans who watched this gripping movie were either cinephiles and F1 fanatics who came out of the screening blown away by the realism and naturalism of the film, some horological enthusiasts would have left wondering about the watch that was worn by Brad Pitt throughout the movie.
The Origin of the IWC Ingenieur
(IWC Ingenieur SL ref. 1832, images taken from Hairspring)
In F1: The Movie, the watch Brad Pitt was wearing played a big part in the history of the IWC Ingenieur. Before identifying this special vintage piece Pitt was wearing, it is important to understand the origin of this beautiful model. The IWC Ingenieur was launched in the mid-1950s initially tailored for scientists and engineers who worked in environments with magnetic fields due to a Faraday cage which protected the movement from magnetic fields. Earlier models consisted of a smaller case size of 36.5mm with some later variations featuring a 37mm case size.
This reference of the IWC Ingenieur was released in 1976 which was created by the horological design genius Gérald Genta who like Pitt has an incredible resumé. Genta was an in-demand figure during the 1970s after having created his own watch brand, Gérald Genta. Genta was behind the makings of two very influential models that changed the horological world - the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972 and Patek Philippe Nautilus in 1976.
(Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 5402ST & Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700, images taken from Christies & Beyond The Dial)
In the same year as the Patek Philippe Nautilus’s release, IWC launched the Ingenieur SL reference 1832 - a model Genta also designed. Like all of Genta’s designs during this era, there were the features of screws incorporated into the bezel and an integrated bracelet. The “SL” part of the model name stands for “Steel Line” but has been documented to alternatively stand for “Safety and Longevity.”
Brad Pitt’s Special Vintage IWC Ingenieur
(Getty Images)
The watch worn on the wrist of Brad Pitt in F1: The Movie was a vintage IWC Ingenieur reference 1832 with a custom green dial. This wasn’t an original 1832 model as IWC created and produced this piece specifically for this film, in which the Swiss brand made some slight modifications in order to fit Brad Pitt’s necessities and requirements.
(Getty Images)
When the IWC Ingenieur SL was introduced, it was a very bold piece with a thick case which didn’t align to Pitt’s needs. Instead, the actor wanted a thinner case so therefore, IWC made some modifications like removing the Faraday cage.
As mentioned, this watch featured a custom green dial which was made by IWC but there were different options for Pitt to choose from such as slate grey and pistachio. Clearly, Pitt opted for this soft yet popping green shade of green which suited Sonny Hayes’s character perfectly.
This year, IWC released an Ingenieur at Watches and Wonders inspired by the bespoke watch created for this movie. This was the Ingenieur 40 reference IW328908 in stainless steel with a striking green “Grid”-pattern dial inspired by the F1 grid, whilst also paying homage to the movie. Due to the IW328908 being produced for F1: The Movie, it is a limited edition release with only 1000 pieces available.
Powered by the Calibre 32111, this special Ingenieur piece has a power reserve of 120 hours which is an upgrade to the previous Calibre 32110 which had a power reserve of 70 hours.
The Calibre 32111 is produced by Val Fleurier who are a movement manufacturer, owned by the Richemont Group. Also owned by the Richemont group is IWC which is why this Ingenieur 40 features the Calibre 32111 as the luxury conglomerate is widely known to spread the same movement across multiple brands.
A Touching Addition to Brad Pitt’s Personal Watch Collection
With this bespoke IWC Ingenieur, Brad Pitt can add to his vintage and special collection of personal watches he has been spotted wearing and like F1: The Movie, there are some hits in his collection.
Patek Nautilus Reference 3700 “Jumbo”
Firstly, Brad Pitt was spotted wearing a vintage and very special Patek Nautilus “Jumbo” reference 3700. As mentioned already, the Nautilus was designed by the legendary Gérald Genta and introduced in 1976, this reference 3700 being the first ever Nautilus model released.
Given the nickname “Jumbo” due to its 42mm case size that was large during the era of watchmaking whereas in today’s modern watchmaking, it is considered as a normal size for men’s watches.
Vintage Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222
Another vintage piece Brad Pitt was caught wearing was the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 at the tennis competition Wimbledon. Like the Patek Nautilus, Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques 222 was released in the 1970s which was their response to the major releases of luxury sports watches during the era of watchmaking.
Unlike the Nautilus, Royal Oak and Ingenieur, the Historiques 222 was not designed by Gérald Genta, but instead by an alternative Swiss watchmaker, Jorg Hysek. This model was launched at the Baselworld fair in 1977 but only lived a short life being discontinued in 1985.
However, this was reissued in 2022 by Vacheron Constantin, bringing out a full yellow gold piece and as part of the Swiss brand’s 250th anniversary this year, they brought out a stainless steel Historiques 222.
IWC Nailed the Brief
Clearly, Brad Pitt has a passion for watches, specifically vintage pieces due to his Nautilus 3700 “Jumbo” and antique Vacheron 222. Not only did this IWC Ingenieur fit Sonny Hayes’s character but it also suits Brad Pitt’s own personal desires. After all, it has been documented that the decorated actor was behind the making of this Ingenieur for F1: The Movie.
Maybe there are some similarities between Hayes and Pitt which could be the overall conclusion as to why the acting performance was exceptional. IWC had to get this watch right, even being requested to create a bespoke piece for a film, many other brands would turn down but IWC committed to the plan and smashed it!
