A natural affinity binds motorsports and watchmaking based as it is on a shared and relentless obsession with incredible mechanics, expressed through finely tuned engines and equally state-of-the-art, meticulously honed movements. Hiren Kumar Bose on this year’s timepieces inspired by automobiles and car racing

GRAHAM Silverstone RS Racing

Completed with  racing  coloured  dials  that  recall  car  dashboards  and  tyre  tread  rubber  straps,  the  46mm  watch carries  its  own  energy  and  confident  dimension.  The chronographs feature a tachymeter function and a day date at 3 o’clock for a more precise time measurement.  The Silverstone RS Racing is enhanced by a steel case and composite ring with subtle touches of  colour under  the  bezel which give  a  tri-dimensional  view on  the  unstoppable  racing  wrist machine.  Named  after  one  of  the  most  famous  legendary  British  motor-racing  tracks,  the  Silverstone RS Racing contains powerful technology and traditional skills. The watch has been developed in a 46 mm steel case including a coloured performance dashboard-like dial which the atmosphere of speed and adrenaline breathe from.  The  colourful-exuberant  chronograph  bears  authentic  references  to  racing  such  as  the  second’s counter  shaped  like  a  brake  disc  or  the  checkerboard  pattern  dial  with  12-hour  and  30-minute counters.  At  9  o’clock  the  seconds  counter  is  automobile  brake  disc-shaped  to  ensure  dynamic reading of the sweep seconds. The  Silverstone  RS  Racing  is  distinguished  by  a  coloured  composite  ring  under  the  bezel  which recalls the fancy colours found on motor-racing circuits. The tyre-tread rubber strap, with a coloured inset, perfectly finishes the watch design and enables an optimum lightweight and shockproof use in all situations.

Heuer Monza Chronograph

In 1976, Jack Heuer, the great grandson of the brand’s founder, designed a chronograph to celebrate Niki Lauda’s first world championship title with Ferrari. The Swiss watch company was then Official Timekeeper for Scuderia (from 1971 to 1979), and it was the first time that MONZA had appeared on the dial of a watch. The 2016 reissue features the watch’s two key functions – the pulsometer and the tachymeter scale, and with the original font. The coussin case is the centrepiece, and is all black, just like the historic model, with black and white lacquered hour and minute hands as on the original. The same applies to the indices in vintage orange SuperLuminova™. The case is made from grade 5 titanium and the material is coated with titanium carbide to give it a powerful, matt black appearance. The 42 mm watch is equipped with a “super racing” strap in full-grain black calfskin with top-stitching, which evokes the design of the three-spoke steering wheel on the racing cars of the time. Inside, the 17 automatic calibre, a chronograph with its two chronograph counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock – perfectly spaced for a beautifully harmonious dial. The screw-on back is numbered and features the historic HEUER logo engraved with red lacquer finish.

 A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone ‘Como Edition’

Lange 1 Time Zone ‘Como Edition’ – created especially for the Concorso – were a car, it would rank among the favourites in this category. The prominent asymmetric dial of the Lange 1 startled the world when it had its debut in 1994, making the reborn A. Lange & Söhne brand famous overnight. The innovative home-time and time-zone display expresses the mechanical prowess with which the manufactory continues to thrill watch enthusiasts and collectors. The hand-engraved caseback of the special-edition model in white gold features the Concorso’s coat of arms. On the city ring, Como stands for Central European Time. For the fifth time now, A. Lange & Söhne took part in the parade of automotive works of art on Lake Como. This year’s motto of the prestigious competition for classic automobiles and futuristic concept cars was ‘Back to the future – the journey continues’. Once again, the winner in the ‘Best of show’ category will be presented with a unique Lange 1 Time Zone ‘Como Edition’. Two exceptional design highlights: the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE on the bonnet of an extravagant 1952 Pegaso Cupula, one of the Concorso winners in 2015

Bell & Ross Renault Sport Formula One™ Team

As the Official Watch Partner of the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team, Bell & Ross continues to celebrate this partnership. On March 18 in Melbourne, at the Formula 1 Pirelli Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai it unveiled a pair of unique timepieces: The BR-X1 RS 16 Skeleton Chronograph, a 250 limited edition watch and the BR-X1 RS16 Skeleton Chronograph Tourbillon, a more sophisticated version, available in 20 pieces. Named after the team’s new R.S. 16 race car for the 2016 season, the watches will be exclusively available for retail at selective Grand Prix. The Grand Prix race week in Shanghai is the perfect place to officially present the pilots: Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, with their engraved BR-X1 RS16 Skeleton Chronograph watches. The drivers were presented with their personalized timepieces, featuring their names and numbers in “Renault Life” typography. Bell & Ross, the ultimate reference in aeronautical watches, has now added racecar drivers to its list of professional users!

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Quatuor Special Edition

Roger Dubuis has opted to sign a partnership as primary sponsor of the FFF Racing Team. To mark this auspicious cooperation, Roger Dubuis is issuing an eight-piece limited edition of its already iconic 48mm Excalibur Quatuor, introduced in 2013 and whose affinities with the world of racing are vividly apparent. This stunning model features pink gold accents creating a warm and striking contrast with the charcoal rhodium-plated finishing as well as with the black DLC titanium case. This timepiece sporting the FFF logo at 12 o’clock clearly displays its revolutionary means of compensating for the earth’s gravity by means of four sprung balances together with five differentials. And talking about the kind of stats to which R&D teams in the automotive world can easily relate, the Excalibur Quatuor was the result of five years of research, 24 months of effective development, 21 watchmaking crafts and 40 people involved in the project.

Edox Chronorally-1 Titanium

Passion, precision and power is the lifeblood of the ultimate form of motor racing – Formula 1. But there’s a fourth factor, timing, that’s equally critical to success on the track. The Sauber F1 team has turned to Edox to be part of this thrilling adventure. Edox’s Chronorally-1 Titanium is available in 48mm Titanium case which makes it ultra light. The beautiful caseback comes with tyre details and is scratch-resistant and is made of anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The black carbon fibre dial comes with tachymeter scale. It has quartz chronograph movement with split time function and display of hours, minutes, seconds, day and date.