The watches of F1 The Movie, on screen and on the red carpet
The Cotswold Jeweller · 14 October 2026
F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, was released in June 2025 and became Apple's most successful film at the cinema. Watch lovers had plenty to look at, both on screen and on the red carpet.
Brad Pitt's IWC Ingenieur
IWC was the film's watch partner and sponsored the fictional APXGP team. Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, wears a one-off IWC Ingenieur based on the Gérald Genta-designed ref. 1832 of 1976, given a sage green dial. Pitt reportedly supplied his own vintage example and his own specification. IWC rebuilt it at about half the original thickness, keeping the original movement, and two were made. In the story, the watch was a gift from Sonny's father.
The rest of the cast
- Damson Idris (Joshua Pearce): an IWC Pilot's Chronograph 41. Accounts differ on the exact model.
- Kerry Condon: IWC Pilot's Automatic 36 and Pilot's Chronograph 41.
- Javier Bardem: an IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar.
IWC also released watches tied to the film, including a green-dial Ingenieur Automatic 40, limited to 1,000 pieces, and Pilot's Chronographs in APXGP colours.
The Daytona moment
The film opens at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 24-hour race Rolex has sponsored since 1992. Class winners receive an engraved Cosmograph Daytona. Sonny wins his class and walks off, saying he already has a watch. Real winners usually keep theirs.
At the premiere
At the New York premiere in June 2025, Pitt wore not an IWC but a 1950s Patek Philippe ref. 2526 with a white enamel dial. Others wore:
- Lando Norris: a Richard Mille RM 72-01 in white ceramic.
- John Mayer: an openworked Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic.
- George Russell: a green IWC Ingenieur limited edition.
- Mason Thames: a Cartier Tank in steel.
- Isack Hadjar: a Tudor Black Bay Chrono.
Richard Mille RM 72-01 in black ceramic. Norris wore a white version.
Real Formula 1
Away from the cinema, TAG Heuer became Formula 1's official timekeeper from 2025, taking over from Rolex. Read our guide to Formula 1 and watches and Lewis Hamilton's watch collection, or see the IWC and Rolex watches in our shop.
