Believe it or not, sports cars and motorsports are inextricably tied to the world of horology
Beyond the “luxury” image that many are happy to exploit, there’s a deeper kinship between the worlds of horology and that of performance sports cars and racing that most people don’t realise. If you think about it, both are highly engineered mechanical machines that have been precision manufactured and tested to superlative standards (and we’re not just talking about chronometers), because they are both intended to be used hard – sometimes to the very limits of endurance – and cannot afford to suffer any form of mechanical failure.
More importantly, these two indulgences are part of a very few number of hobbies that men can dabble in; compared to art pieces, cars and watches are “mobile” enough to be brought out and about for drives and gatherings (often at the same time!), because camaraderie is a large part of these hobbies.
Regardless of whether you’re talking cars or watches, passion is the defining trait of a true enthusiast that cuts through the murk of the “me-too” social influencer posts and brand-wagon jumpers. It’s a big difference from snobs who are drawn to the brand image, its perceived status and the sugar and spice of all things new and shiny, and less for the sake of horology or all things automotive.
To put it succinctly, a true petrolhead is equally enthused by both advanced Ferrari FXX-K and humble Caterham; by that token, enlightened collectors could have eclectic Greubel Forseys rubbing cases with Grand Seikos and a menagerie of vintage sports Rollies in their watch boxes without prejudice, because they appreciate the nuances in each mechanical timepiece, as opposed to slavish devotion to any one brand.
Denne historien er fra Summer 2017-utgaven av World of Watches.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2017-utgaven av World of Watches.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
EASY COMPANY
Hamilton launches the new Khaki Field Quartz collection that takes its inspiration from the G.S.watches of the 1960s.
SPIRITED AWAY
The year of the dragon is not yet over and Franck Muller's new watch will remind you once again why this year is a great Chinese zodiac year for watches.
LUNAR TIES
Blancpain resumes its deep-seated romance with the moon through the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune in black ceramic.
USEFUL BREAKTHROUGH
With the Elux LAB-ID PAM01800, Panerai has delivered the smartest and brightest dive watch ever made.
SHIELD KING
Seiko reveals a new take on a King Seiko classic, the KS1969, thus bringing back an intriguing shape to the collection.
FRENCH EXPRESS
Louis Vuitton extends their new philosophy of watchmaking unveiling the dressier Escale collection.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
Patek Philippe brings their patented system to synchronise the date display on a world time watch to their regular collection.
APROPOS COMPLICATIONS
A watch with complications appeals to different sorts of collectors, and is quite different to a complex watch. The editors of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand discuss the virtues of all sorts of complications and considering when more is really better…
KEEPING IT REAL
Technology proves to be a solid tool for luxury watch brands in their fight against mounting cases of fake timepieces and watch thefts.
GLOWUP
A brightly lumed dial in pitch-black darkness is equal parts joy and fascination, have you ever wondered where your Super-LumiNova comes from?