What Watch Does Brad Pitt Wear in F1?

Featured image: Ferengi / Wikimedia Commons

In the 2025 Formula One film F1, Brad Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes wears a specially created IWC Ingenieur based on the iconic 1976 Reference 1832, designed by Gérald Genta. The closest production equivalent is the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 (reference IW328908)—a 40mm steel sports watch with a green “Grid” dial, automatic Calibre 32111 movement, and a 120-hour power reserve, limited to 1,000 examples worldwide.

The Brad Pitt F1 Watch: IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40

IWC Schaffhausen has had a long association with motorsport and professional equipment, so the studio’s decision to sign the brand as an official partner of F1 made obvious sense. The prop team created a bespoke Ingenieur modeled directly on the 1976 IWC Ingenieur SL Reference 1832—a Gérald Genta design that remains one of the most admired integrated-bracelet sports watches of its era. For consumers, IWC released the Ingenieur Automatic 40 (ref. IW328908) as the production companion to the film, available through IWC boutiques and authorized dealers.

The IW328908 sits at the center of what IWC calls the Ingenieur’s motorsport lineage. The 40mm stainless steel case is sized for practical daily wear without overwhelming the wrist—a deliberate step back from the larger reissues of previous decades. The green “Grid” dial takes its name from a Formula One starting grid: a subtle texture pressed into the dial surface catches the light differently depending on the viewing angle, giving the watch a quiet dynamism without resorting to loud color or carbon-fiber theatrics. Applied numerals and lume-tipped hands carry Super-LumiNova, so the watch reads clearly in a darkened garage as readily as under direct sun. The integrated stainless steel bracelet mimics the five-link pattern of the original Genta design, tapering smoothly toward a deployant clasp.

Spec	Detail
Reference	IW328908
Case diameter	40 mm
Case material	Stainless steel
Dial	Green “Grid”
Crystal	Sapphire, anti-reflective
Movement	Calibre 32111 (automatic)
Power reserve	120 hours (5 days)
Water resistance	100 m (10 bar)
Bracelet	Stainless steel, integrated
Production run	Limited to 1,000 pieces
Approx. retail price	$15,500 / EUR 14,200

The IWC Ingenieur: History and Design

The original Ingenieur appeared in 1955 with a soft-iron inner cage that shielded the movement from magnetic interference—a practical tool aimed at engineers and scientists working around heavy electrical equipment. It was functional but visually conservative. That changed decisively in 1976 when IWC commissioned Gérald Genta, the same designer responsible for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, to rework the Ingenieur from scratch. Genta produced the Reference 1832, an integrated-bracelet watch with a characteristic five-link design, circular brushing on the case flanks, and a clean, uncluttered dial that became an instant design classic.

IWC retired the Genta Ingenieur in the early 1980s and issued several reinterpretations over the following decades, none of which fully captured the original’s architectural clarity. The 2023 revival—the generation that produced the IW328908—returned to Genta’s proportions and spirit with a modern automatic movement and tighter case finishing. It is widely regarded as the most faithful update since the original, and the F1 film partnership gave the relaunch a level of public visibility that few watch campaigns achieve. For more on how significant films have put specific watches on the cultural map, the guide to famous watches in movies covers the full picture from James Bond’s Omega to the Submariner in Apocalypse Now.

Other Watches in the F1 Movie

IWC provided watches for more than Brad Pitt’s character alone. Damson Idris, playing young rival Joshua Pearce, wears an IWC Pilot’s Chronograph 41 TOP GUN in Ceratanium—the aviation-inspired line rendered in IWC’s proprietary ceramic-titanium alloy, which is exceptionally hard and lighter than steel. It is a sportier, more aggressive look that suits a character still establishing himself on the grid.

Javier Bardem, as team principal Ruben Cervantes, appears in a IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar—large, authoritative, and oriented toward long-range strategy rather than sprint times. The Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar is among IWC’s most sophisticated everyday pieces, tracking day, date, month, and leap year with a cam-based mechanism that rarely requires manual correction. Each watch in the film was chosen with IWC’s input to reflect the character wearing it, which is worth remembering when you notice the differences on screen.

The deliberate casting of watches across characters is similar to the approach filmmakers have used to signal status and personality in other productions. The same dynamic appears throughout the history of Bond’s Omega watches, where specific references were chosen to match the tone of each film era.

Brad Pitt’s Personal Watch Collection

Away from set, Brad Pitt is a serious collector with a consistent taste for vintage pieces and landmark designs. He has been photographed wearing a Vacheron Constantin 222—another Gérald Genta design from 1977 with an integrated bracelet and geometric case that runs parallel to the IWC Ingenieur in both vintage appeal and present collector demand. The pattern is deliberate: Pitt gravitates toward watches with genuine design pedigree and historical significance rather than contemporary horological complexity.

His confirmed collection also includes a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711—the steel sports watch that commanded six-figure secondary-market prices before Patek discontinued it in 2021—alongside a Breitling Premier Norton Edition, which speaks to his well-documented enthusiasm for motorcycles. He has been photographed with a yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II with green bezel, a Rolex Explorer, a rare Cartier Tank à Guichet from the 1930s with its distinctive jumping-hour complication, and reportedly a platinum 1952 Patek Philippe pocket watch that sold at auction for approximately $4 million. The selection across the collection is entirely consistent: watches with historical weight, restraint of design, and genuine horological significance. For a comprehensive look at other collectors and the watches they reach for, the celebrity watch guide covers dozens of well-known figures. For IWC specifically, see the watches chosen by brand ambassador George Russell and the full IWC collection Tom Brady wears.

FAQ

What watch does Brad Pitt wear in the F1 movie?

Brad Pitt’s character Sonny Hayes wears a bespoke IWC Ingenieur created for the film, based on the original 1976 Gérald Genta Reference 1832 design. The production equivalent available to buyers is the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 (reference IW328908), with a green “Grid” dial and 40mm stainless steel case.

Can I buy the exact Brad Pitt F1 watch?

The watch used on screen is a bespoke prop made specifically for production and is not available for purchase. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 (IW328908) is the official consumer companion piece, limited to 1,000 examples and originally priced at EUR 14,200; check IWC boutiques and authorized dealers for current availability, as secondary-market stock also exists.

What other IWC watches appear in the F1 movie?

Three IWC watches appear prominently: Brad Pitt wears a custom Ingenieur based on the 1976 Reference 1832; Damson Idris wears the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph 41 TOP GUN in Ceratanium; and Javier Bardem wears the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar. Each watch was chosen with IWC’s input to reflect the character’s personality and role within the team.

How much does the IWC Ingenieur from F1 cost?

The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 (IW328908) launched at EUR 14,200, which at 2025 exchange rates converts to roughly $15,500. As a 1,000-piece limited edition tied to a major theatrical release, secondary-market prices may differ from the original retail figure—check authorized dealers and reputable pre-owned platforms for current pricing.

What watches does Brad Pitt collect in real life?

Pitt’s confirmed personal collection spans several iconic references: a Vacheron Constantin 222, a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711, a Breitling Premier Norton Edition, a yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II with green bezel, a Rolex Explorer, a Cartier Tank à Guichet jumping-hour model from the 1930s, and reportedly a rare 1952 platinum Patek Philippe pocket watch that sold at auction for approximately $4 million.

Who designed the original IWC Ingenieur that inspired the F1 watch?

The 1976 IWC Ingenieur SL Reference 1832 that inspired the film watch was designed by Gérald Genta, the Swiss designer also responsible for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. The three watches share an integrated-bracelet concept and geometric case language that defined the sport-luxury watch category in the 1970s and remain among the most imitated designs in modern watchmaking.

Sources

• IWC Schaffhausen: Ingenieur Collection
• Wikimedia Commons: IWC Vintage Collection Jubilee Edition (Ferengi, CC BY-SA 3.0)
• Wikimedia Commons: Brad Pitt 2019 (Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Wikimedia Commons: Vacheron Constantin dress watch, early 1980s (Clyde94, CC BY-SA 4.0)