You’ve seen the trailers. You’ve probably seen the grainy paparazzi shots of Brad Pitt in a white and black race suit, looking impossibly cool for a guy in his sixties. But for those of us who track time by the beat of a balance wheel rather than a stopwatch, one detail in the upcoming F1 movie (2025) hit harder than a V6 turbo-hybrid engine.
I’m talking about that green-dial watch.
It isn't a Rolex. It isn't a TAG Heuer, despite their massive history in the sport. The Brad Pitt F1 watch is a very specific, very modified, and very polarizing IWC Ingenieur. Honestly, the story of how this watch ended up on his wrist is actually more interesting than the product placement itself. It wasn't just a marketing executive handing over a box; it was Pitt himself playing "watch architect" via email.
The Resto-Mod Nobody Saw Coming
Most movie stars just wear what the costume department gives them. Not Brad. He’s a known Gérald Genta nerd—the legendary designer responsible for the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
When production started on F1, Pitt reached out to IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr with a weirdly specific request. He loved the 1976 IWC Ingenieur SL (Reference 1832), but he hated how thick it was. The original was nicknamed "The Jumbo" for a reason. It was a tank of a watch, built with a massive soft-iron inner cage to protect against magnetic fields.
Pitt basically asked: "Can we make this half as thick and give it a weird green dial?"
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IWC said yes, but they needed help. They partnered with Cloister Watch Company, a boutique outfit in New York that specializes in "resto-modding" vintage timepieces. They took an original 1832, ripped out the anti-magnetic cage to slim the profile down, and created a bespoke "sage green" dial that doesn't actually exist in any vintage catalog.
Two were made. Pitt kept one. IWC kept the other.
Why This Specific Watch Matters for the Movie
In the film, Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a veteran driver brought back to mentor a rookie. The watch choice is a masterstroke of character building. A modern driver would wear a carbon fiber digital nightmare or a flashy gold chronograph. Sonny Hayes wears a 1970s icon that has been modified to survive the modern world. It’s a metaphor on a steel bracelet.
The Tech Specs of the "Prop" vs. Reality
If you’re looking to buy the exact watch Pitt wears in the movie, I have some bad news. You can't. Not exactly.
Because the movie watch was a custom vintage piece, IWC had to scramble to create something the public could actually buy. This led to the release of the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW328908).
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- The Dial: The retail version has a "Grid" pattern that mimics the F1 starting grid. Pitt's movie watch is a smoother, vintage-style dial.
- The Movement: The public version uses the Calibre 32111 with a massive 120-hour power reserve.
- The Case: It’s 40mm and 10.7mm thick. This is actually quite slim, but still not as "shaved down" as the bespoke prop Pitt requested.
- The Exclusivity: They only made 1,000 of them.
It’s a bit of a "catch-22." To get the look, you have to accept that the retail version is a tribute to a prop, which itself was a tribute to a 1976 original.
Beyond the Ingenieur: The Other Watches in F1
While the green Ingenieur is the hero, the movie is basically a high-speed IWC catalog. Damson Idris, who plays the rookie Joshua Pearce, isn't wearing vintage steel. He’s rocking the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 in 18-carat 5N gold.
It’s loud. It’s heavy. It’s exactly what a young, hungry F1 star would wear.
The fictional team in the movie, APXGP, is sponsored by IWC, which mirrors the brand's real-life 12-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team. If you look closely at the pit wall scenes, you'll see IWC branding everywhere—from the steering wheels to the mechanics' gloves.
Is the "Brad Pitt F1 Watch" Actually Worth the Hype?
Here is the thing. The watch world is currently divided on the new Ingenieur. At a retail price of around $13,600 (and often hovering closer to $20,000 on the secondary market like Chrono24), it’s expensive for a steel watch with a movement shared by other brands in the Richemont group.
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But watches aren't just about the movement. They're about the "vibe."
The Ingenieur has always been the "underdog" of the Genta designs. It never had the mainstream fame of the Royal Oak. By putting it on Brad Pitt’s wrist in a summer blockbuster, IWC is banking on the "cool factor" to finally put the Ingenieur in the same league as the heavy hitters.
How to Get the Look Without the $18k Price Tag
If you’re obsessed with the Brad Pitt F1 watch but don't have a Hollywood budget, there are a few ways to pivot.
- The "Pre-Movie" Ingenieur: Look for the Reference 3239. It’s 40mm, has the integrated bracelet look, and was available for years at a much lower price before the movie hype started driving up the market.
- The IWC Mark XX (Green Dial): If it’s just that specific shade of green you’re after, the Mark XX offers the same movement and a similar "pilot-meets-driver" aesthetic for about half the price of the Ingenieur.
- Vintage 1832: If you want the real deal—the "Jumbo" that inspired Pitt—be prepared to hunt. They are rare, they are thick, and thanks to this movie, they are now more expensive than ever.
The reality is that this watch represents a shift in how movies and brands interact. It wasn't just a paid placement; it was a collaboration that resulted in a legitimate piece of horological "resto-mod" history. Whether you like the green dial or not, you have to respect the hustle of a leading man who sends detailed technical emails to Swiss watchmakers just to get the thickness of his case right.
Keep an eye on the secondary market as the film's release date approaches. We’ve already seen prices for the "Grid" dial Ingenieur spike on sites like Chrono24, with some listings hitting $21,000. If history tells us anything about "movie watches," the peak of the hype is usually right at the premiere. If you're a collector looking to sell, that's your window. If you're looking to buy, you might want to wait for the exhaust fumes to clear.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Track the Market: Use tools like WatchCharts to monitor the price of Ref. IW328908 over the next six months.
- Compare Proportions: If you’re considering the 1,000-piece limited edition, try on a standard Ingenieur 40 first. The integrated lugs mean it wears larger than a standard 40mm watch.
- Verify Provenance: If buying second-hand, ensure the "APXGP" or movie-specific documentation is included, as these "celebrity-linked" editions are prime targets for high-quality replicas.