The LA Lakers v Golden State Warriors game on Friday was a star-studded night. After all, LeBron James and Co. sealed their spot in the Western Conference Finals. Witnessing the action from the courtside was Lewis Hamilton, who thoroughly enjoyed watching LeBron James lock horns with Steph Curry. However, some fans noticed something unusual in his look which could upset one of Mercedes’ biggest sponsors.
Formula 1 is currently in the middle of a one-week hiatus before action resumes in Italy. Most of the drivers are engaging themselves in the hobbies they love outside of F1. Lewis Hamilton is no exception. He was seen watching the game along with Leonardo DiCaprio. Needless to say, Hamilton was rooting for LeBron, whom he congratulated later through an Instagram post.
Lewis Hamilton ditches a major Mercedes sponsor to complete his look
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Barring AlphaTauri and Haas, every F1 team has a sponsorship deal in place with some watch manufacturer giant or the other. Mercedes is one of those teams and has been in partnership with IWC for 10 years now. That gives their drivers access to their ultra-exclusive, high-end wristwatches. And to be fair, you often see Hamilton and George Russell wear them proudly. But that did not happen when Lewis made an appearance at the Lakers game. Surely, this will irk his team’s $232 million-worth sponsor (according to peopleai.com) as the 7-time champion’s pictures from the event continue to go viral.
According to the popular Instagram account ‘insaneluxurylife’, Hamilton sported a Patek Phillipe Nautilus 5980 Chronograph. The 18k rose gold watch, as per them, holds a market price of $225,000. The timepiece is a solid hit among celebs ever since it hit the market in 2013.
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Fans were left in shock by Hamilton’s decision
Mercedes hasn’t had the best of time in F1 since Hamilton’s ugly defeat in Abu Dhabi in 2021. However, IWC did not pull out as the Silver Arrows’ sponsor. Moreover, as per Oracle Time, the luxury watch brand has an exclusive IWC “Lewis Hamilton” Edition. Perhaps, this is the reason why fans couldn’t believe it when Hamilton turned up for the game with a Patek Phillipe and not an IWC.
“Where is your IWC ??”
“Isn‘t he supposed to wear IWC?”
“Isn’t it confusing when he endorses IWC?”
“So he doesn’t wear only iwc watches?”
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“@iwcwatches punching air rn 😂”
“IWC in the corner”
“Lol see ya iwc”
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Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton & Leonardo DiCaprio Witness a LeBron James Masterclass at the 2023 NBA Playoffs
How did you find Hamilton’s look at the game? Did the Patek Phillipe seal Hamilton’s look?