NFL Champion Tom Brady Stars in a Top Gun Feature of His Own

Whilst people are gearing up for the new “Top Gun: Maverick” movie, Tom Brady has appeared in a Top Gun featurette of his own. In the newly released video, the IWC brand ambassador and seven-time NFL champion rocks an assortment of IWC TOP GUN watches within a variety of epic terrains. The intensity dials up as the video unfolds, showing that these pieces are every bit as durable as they are visually striking. It is officially the year of IWC TOP GUN.

Like the blockbuster film franchise, IWC’s iconic range draws inspiration from the real-life TOPGUN flight school, aka the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program. IWC’s partnership with TOP GUN Flight Academy began in 2007. Crafted from cutting-edge materials like ceramic and Ceratanium, the collection has never seemed as vital and fully realised as it does now. To watch the new video campaign is to witness the eye-catching power of ‘The Colours of Top Gun’ new IWC range including the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph Editions Lake Tahoe White, Woodland Green, and the coveted Mojave Desert, the latter of which recently went on tour as part of IWC’s Big Pilot Roadshow. Let’s not forget how iconic black can be as a colour, with the  Jet Black and Black Ceratanium models.

IWC x Tom Brady

A living legend if there ever was one, Tom Brady has won more World Championships than any other quarterback in NFL history. He’s also been an official IWC brand ambassador since 2019, bringing us to the latest video. Despite his many achievements, Brady makes it clear that the personal challenges are never over and that he’s still pushing himself to extremes. Through this tireless pursuit of perfection, he and IWC’s TOP GUN range find a common ground. “We’re not here to try – we’re here to do,” he claims during the video’s final moments. You can watch it here.

“In cinematic spots, we pair Tom Brady with selected TOP GUN chronographs. The powerful images also reference the landscapes of Lake Tahoe, forests, and the Mojave Desert, which have inspired our new ceramic colours. We couldn’t have thought of anybody better than Tom to illustrate the evolution of IWC TOP GUN into a style statement and expression of a distinct lifestyle,” said Franziska Gsell, CMO of IWC Schaffhausen.

IWC x Pantone Colour Institute

When bringing each colour of the TOP GUN collection to life, IWC partnered with the legendary Pantone Colour Institute. A global leader in their respective realm, Pantone revolutionised the printing industry back in 1963 by establishing an international language of colour, which allowed professionals and creatives to select colour with newfound tiers of precision. To this day, Pantone continues to redefine consistency and communication through colour across various industries, including apparel, beauty, interior design, horology, and more.

The Wonders of Ceratanium

The development of Ceratanium was no small feat for IWC and it deserves a little extra attention. For decades, the watchmaker has been pioneering materials such as titanium and ceramic, the latter of which plays a prominent role in the TOP GUN range. But patented Ceratanium is an innovation that offers the best of both aforementioned materials. The process begins with the smelting of a unique titanium alloy—which forms the basis for various case components—followed by a precise machining process.

For the last leg of the journey, each component is baked to specific protocols, until the surfaces exhibit the properties of a high-grade ceramic (hardness, scratch resistance, etc). As a direct result of the firing process, the components also take on a distinctive matte black colour without any need for coating. This is a completely black watch in the truest sense of the concept, whereby the surface is inexorably fused with the material. And whereas it’s virtually impossible to forge small auxiliary parts from ceramic, IWC can do so using Ceratanium, to produce a completely uniform black watch.

Coloured Ceramic is Even More Than Meets the Eye

Along similar lines, the process of creating coloured ceramic is quite involved. As a material, ceramic continues to play a very important role in the IWC TOP GUN range, whereas it cultivates desirable properties such as prime scratch resistance and ultra-smooth surfaces. The infusion of colour requires the mixing and sintering of zirconium oxide and other metallic oxides at supremely high temperatures inside a furnace. Volatility is high and so too is variability, leading to countless amounts of trial and error.

IWC’s current coloured ceramic range now includes:

• IWC Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert”
• IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland”
• IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe”
• IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium
• IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN

But before we get ahead of ourselves, allow us to properly introduce the all-new stunning The Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN:

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN

The first IWC TOP GUN Big Pilot in an ergonomic 43.8mm case, this one continues the line’s long-running use of the colour black. Forged from black zirconium oxide ceramic with a black dial and hands and titanium case-back, it runs on IWC manufactured 82100 calibre movement with a Pellaton winding system and a power reserve of 60 hours. Through the use of engineered ceramic comes a bounty of benefits, including sleek surfaces and maximum scratch resistance. Hovering just beneath the exterior is a soft-iron inner case, which protects the movement against the effects of magnetic fields. “Awesome” is the word you’re looking for.

The new IWC TOP GUN collection is available now at IWC boutiques, or online at IWC.com. The timepieces are eligible for registration under the My IWC care program, benefiting from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty. Now make like Tom Brady and strap up in style.

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