“I love jewels and jewellery and I've always loved timepieces”: Lewis Hamilton talks about his ‘ultimate’ $46,000 accessory

Lewis Hamilton is renowned not just for his legendary status in the history books of F1 but also for his distinctive sense of style.

The seven-time world champion can be captured sporting flashy outfits all the time, whether he is attending a grand ceremony or making his entrance into the paddocks.

With a remarkable piece of accessory that the Briton has been spotted wearing ahead of races, Hamilton's sense of fashion has once again captivated fans and fashion enthusiasts alike.

The spotlight now shines on his exquisite timepiece, the IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Lake Tahoe, a watch that made its debut during the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

Since its inaugural appearance in Miami early this May, Lewis Hamilton has been seen adorning this Perpetual Calendar encased in a “Lake Tahoe” white ceramic finish on multiple occasions.

The allure surrounding this timepiece sparked plenty of interest and speculation, culminating in its public release in July at a price point north of $46,000. The 38-year-old most recently sported the same watch ahead of the Qatar GP.

Notably, this marked Lewis Hamilton’s third collaboration with IWC since 2014. The watch on his wrist boasts an innovative retrograde date function and prominently features Hamilton’s personal logo under the IWC emblem.

In an recent interview with GQ magazine, the Mercedes legend delved deeper into the inspiration behind the watch, stating,

“I see every partnership and collab as an opportunity to learn. With this last one, I said I'd love to do a platinum watch, the top of the top. Everything's unique and that's how it is with these watches.”

Hamilton continued:

“It's the ultimate accessory. I love jewels and jewellery and I've always loved timepieces. Time is something that I'm chasing every weekend on the track, to the thousandth of a second."

Lewis Hamilton shares his struggles of self-expression

The conversation then transitioned to Hamilton's evolution as a style icon. He recounted a pivotal moment when he first ventured into a space where his attire was scrutinized by a superior.

Reflecting on his early days, Lewis Hamilton shared,

“When I first turned up in an outfit, one of the bosses, I remember him looking me up and down and judging what I was wearing – and feeling really small.”

The experience left the Briton feeling small and compelled him to conform to a standard that didn't resonate with his true self. He said:

“I felt like I had to conform to something that I was uncomfortable with, and I know a lot of people are experiencing that.”

Lewis Hamilton urged individuals to be unapologetically themselves, to be bold and brave in their self-expression. He stated:

“So hopefully in what I do, it's letting people know to just be bold and be brave and be you. And if being you doesn’t fit in that space, it's not for you.”