“IWC Chrono Challenge” Pits Lewis Hamilton against Simu Liu in a Basketball Match

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The 2023 F1 season is well under way, and the Miami Grand Prix will return to the Miami International Autodrome this weekend. In the run up to race weekend, IWC Schaffhausen invited a group of top athletes and celebrities to a friendly basketball game at Jungle Plaza in the heart of Miami’s iconic Design District. Both competing teams were captained by seven-time F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton in “Team Pink” while Canadian actor and writer Simu Liu faced his opponent in “Team Green”.

Lewis Hamilton, Brandon Okpalobi, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen Christoph Grainger-Herr pose with the Dibia DREAM Foundation during The IWC Chrono Challenge. Image: John Parra/Getty Images for IWC

Called the “IWC Chrono Challenge,” the event is hosted with Miami-based non-profit organization Dibia Dream, whose mission is to spark social change through STEM education and sports for Miami’s underserved youth. Boys and girls in this program also participate as girls and boys. A full-sized basketball court was created to host the game, and after the event, will be donated to Dibia Dream and the City of Miami. In the background is a giant mural of Hamilton wearing the watch of the newly announced Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team featuring a Miami Pink rubber strap.

From left to right: Antrel Rolle, James Marsden and Lewis Hamilton during The IWC Chrono Challenge. Image: Jason Koerner/Getty Image for IWC

Team Pink is made up of Hollywood actor James Marsden and former NFL player Antrel Rolle, while Team Green is made up of Olympic skateboarder Jagger Eaton and Dibia Dream founder and CEO Brandon Okpalobi. The two teams faced each other in three basketball skill challenges, which included lay-ups, free throws and one-on-one games. Hosted by F1 legend David Coulthard, and IWC brand ambassador and Hollywood actress Monica Barbaro was the timekeeper and also kept the score for the game.

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From left to right: Brandon Okpalobi, Simu Liu and Jagger Eaton during The IWC Chrono Challenge. Image: Jason Koerner/Getty Image for IWC

According to IWC, the newly announced watch is the first official team watch the brand has made for its partners. IWC and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team began their partnership in 2013, and a decade later, this relationship has only grown stronger and crystallized on the chronographs. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team watch pays tribute to the “passion and determination of the team designers, aerodynamicists, race engineers, strategists and mechanics.” The pink laces complete the team’s race track look, and the eye-catching pink hue is also evident on the gloves and shoes.

But prior to his official debut on the racing circuit, members of Team Pink were spotted wearing the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One watch featuring a Miami Pink rubber strap. The Green Team, on the other hand, wore green rubber straps.

From left to right: Lewis Hamilton, IWC Schaffhausen CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr and Simu Liu. Image: John Parra/Getty Images for IWC

First unveiled at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, these watches are made of extremely durable Class 5 titanium, a material introduced to the watch industry by IWC in the 1980s when they released their first watches with titanium cases and bracelets. Titanium is commonly used in the automotive industry to produce components that are subjected to extreme stresses, such as engine valves, while boasting other properties such as corrosion resistance and skin friendliness. This watch has a black dial with a green print and “PETRONAS” luminescence, which completes the striking design. It features caliber 69385 movement by IWC, a rugged chronograph movement with a column-wheel design of 242 parts. The watch’s power reserve is 46 hours, the wearer can view the impressive movement through the sapphire glass back.

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Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team 41 Chronograph Pilot Watch

Hamilton said more about the event: “It’s great to be back in Miami with IWC to take over Jungle Plaza in the Miami Design District. It’s been a while since I played basketball so I’m a little rusty, but at least I hit some hoops! I’ve been with the team for 10 years now and IWC has been with us for that entire journey, so I’m very proud to wear our IWC team watch on a Miami pink strap this weekend. Today we spent time with the charity Dibia DREAM who invited some great kids from the local Miami community. Dibia DREAM’s mission is to show children that through education you can achieve anything you set your mind to, so it’s great to be a part of that.

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