Introduction | Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz: Let’s Ride

As Mercedes-Benz celebrates its 140th anniversary in 2026, our automotive columnist Marc Bouchard recently wrote about the latest E-Class, whilst IWC Schaffhausen recently unveiled a watch to pay tribute to the German car manufacturer: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz.

A long-standing partnership between IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes-Benz

Indeed, the two companies have been collaborating since 2004, nearly 25 years, to drive innovation in engineering, performance and design, whether through the inclusion of IWC dials in Mercedes-AMG cars or, more recently, an IWC app on MBUX screens. Let us not forget that it was thanks to the ingenuity of Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler that the world’s first motor car came into being; at the time, it was more of a motorized cart than a Silver Arrows. Speaking of Silver Arrows, since 2013 the Swiss luxury watchmaker has also been the“Official Engineering Partner” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, the official Mercedes-Benz racing team. But the collaboration goes even further. The two brands have also joined forces on numerous other projects, including special-edition watches inspired by the design cues of the legendary G-Class or the racing team.

Beyond that, IWC and Mercedes-Benz have brought this partnership to life through countless memorable experiences for their customers: from visits to Formula 1 races and other thrilling motor racing events, such as the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, to exhilarating driving academies behind the wheel of Mercedes-AMG’s most powerful sports cars.

As Mercedes-Benz celebrates “140 Years of Innovation” with “140 Years. 140 Places.”, three new S-Class saloons are touring 140 selected locations around the world; they stopped off in Canada just before the Canadian Grand Prix, covering more than 50,000 kilometres across six continents and showcasing the brand’s technology, heritage, pioneering spirit and global presence.

Against this backdrop, IWC is unveiling a limited edition of the Big Pilot’s Watch fitted with the ProSet perpetual calendar. Marking one of IWC’s most innovative advances in perpetual calendars in decades, this highly innovative new mechanism was unveiled earlier this year at the Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva, which I discussed in this episode of the “En première classe” podcast (in french) with Ms. Sarah Kaidbey from Château d’Ivoire.

“For 22 years, we have been part of the Mercedes-Benz brand universe – and what began as a partnership has grown into a friendship, built on mutual respect and deep admiration for each other’s work. Our collaboration is rooted in shared values: a passion for world-class engineering, uncompromising performance, and visionary design. We warmly congratulate Mercedes-Benz on this company anniversary and look forward to many more years and more exciting projects together,” explains Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

“Since 1886, Mercedes-Benz has never simply measured time, but defined eras. Together with IWC Schaffhausen, we celebrate a shared belief that true progress is born from craftsmanship, innovation, and attention to every detail. The limited-edition Big Pilot’s Watch honours a partnership built on these values and reflects the enduring spirit that drives both our brands forward,” says Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Sales & Customer Experience.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz (ref. IW329603) is a limited edition of 140 pieces, each representing a year of pioneering innovation in the history of Mercedes-Benz. The 42-millimetre stainless steel case, finished in a combination of brushed and polished surfaces, frames a black dial adorned with solid gold hour markers and gold-plated hands. The minute markings are printed in white for enhanced legibility. On the sapphire crystal case back, a historic logo commemorates this landmark event. Launched in 1926 following the merger between Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) and Benz & Cie., this was the first Mercedes-Benz logo, combining the laurel wreath – taken from the Benz emblem – with the three-pointed star of DMG, which remains iconic to this day.

Flexibility and ease of use are the order of the day with the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz

IWC’s adventure in the world of mechanical calendars began in 1985, when the company unveiled the perpetual calendar developed by legendary watchmaker Kurt Klaus. With the new Perpetual Calendar ProSet, the brand has now completely reimagined this complication, which remains to this day one of watchmaking’s greatest challenges.

This new module relies entirely on a gear-based system and is protected by four patents. As a result, the calendar can now be adjusted forward and, for the first time, also backward using a single crown position. This new approach makes calendar adjustments in both directions just as simple and intuitive as setting the time itself. Unlike most traditional perpetual calendars, the ProSet requires no additional pusher, no change in crown position, and no complicated setting menu. Behind this apparent simplicity lies a genuine feat of engineering, requiring components with fine and extremely complex geometries. To manufacture them, IWC uses the LIGA process, a cutting-edge microstructuring technology based on lithography and electroforming.

Near-Flawless Precision, Like a Mercedes-Benz

The Perpetual Calendar ProSet displays its information across four subdials. The date appears at 3 o’clock, the month at 6 o’clock, and the day of the week at 9 o’clock. The moon phase is positioned at 12 o’clock. Thanks to a newly calculated reduction gear, the display will show a deviation of only one day after 1,040 years. IWC’s signature Double Moon function ensures an accurate moon display for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The four-digit year display, another distinctive feature of IWC’s perpetual calendars, is located between 7 and 8 o’clock on the dial. The Perpetual Calendar ProSet is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82665 calibre, fitted with a nickel-phosphorus escapement and a silicon balance spring. The bidirectional Pellaton automatic winding system, meanwhile, is reinforced with ceramic components and offers a power reserve of no less than 60 hours in the mainspring. This Big Pilot’s Watch is fitted on a black rubber strap. Thanks to the integrated EasX-CHANGE system, the strap can be swapped for another model without any tools, letting you tailor the watch to your style.

Performance and Innovation: The Watchwords of the Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen Collaboration

The new “Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz” adds to a collection that reflects the many facets of Mercedes-Benz. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Performance 41 AMG (Ref. IW388305) embodies the shared passion for performance and design that has linked IWC and Mercedes-AMG since 2004. As the “official engineering partner” of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ team since the beginning of the last decade, IWC has also launched several watches dedicated to the team, as mentioned earlier. The first was the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team” (Ref. IW388108) in 2022, followed in 2023 by the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team (Ref. IW388306) in Ceratanium. The Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team (Ref. IW328210) marked the start of the 2025 season. With two standout special editions, IWC celebrated the shared utilitarian heritage of its Big Pilot’s Watch and Mercedes-Benz’s iconic G-Class “Geländewagen”: the Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63 in 18-carat ArmorGold (Ref. IW501201) and the Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63 (Ref. IW506201), IWC’s first watch to feature a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) case, a material innovation developed in close collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

What Gentologie Thinks

At first glance, this new collaboration between the two brands is impressive. It offers a watch that remains simple and, once again, analogue rather than digital, even though most Mercedes-Benz dials are digital. It keeps a clean aesthetic, with the Mercedes-Benz logo on the case back, so nothing too flashy at first sight.

At 42 mm, it continues the tradition of larger-sized models, well suited to Germans, known for their imposing build. Limited to 140 pieces and priced above $50,000, it will certainly be a sought-after watch among collectors.

This strategic collaboration between the two luxury brands bodes well for a fruitful partnership over the next 140 years.