This is the all black Chopard Superfast Chronograph that has just been launched here in Le Mans alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I invite you to have a closer look since that´s a real cool timepiece …
Chopard is partner of Porsche Motorsports, the Porsche 919 Hybrid racing car successfully participates in the FIA World Endurance Championship (including the 24 Hours of Le Mans). I am reporting live from Le Mans where in these 24 hours the legendary race is held. Chopard just presented me its latest chronograph that pays tribute to the two Porsche 919 Hybrid race cars that are on the track now and again try to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The race in Le Mans is mythic and it is indeed in Le Mans that Porsche forged part of its legend. Having racked up 16 victories between 1970 and 1988, and most recently a superb one-two finish in 2015, the German team has become inseparably bound up with the history of the “Circuit de la Sarthe”.
While Porsche’s first participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans dates back to 1951, its first victory came in 1970. The winning Porsche 917 K did it again the following year, before Jacky Ickx and Porsche jointly put their names on the event’s roll of honour in 1976, 1977 and 1981 with a Porsche 936; and in 1982 (the last of Jacky Ickx’ six victories in Le Mans. Jacky is therefore called Monsieur Le Mans!) at the wheel of a Porsche 956. The latter model achieved wins in 1983, 1984 and 1985, before passing the baton to the Porsche 962 C which won the 1986 and 1987 editions. The 1990’s saw Porsche score four more victories: with a Dauer-Porsche 962 Le Mans in 1994; Joest Porsche TWR WSC in 1996 and 1997; and finally, with a Porsche 911 GT1-98 in 1998. Such is the exceptional track record that Porsche enriched in 2015 by winning Le Mans with Chopard being the official timekeeper of the team.
Already last year Chopard dedicated a chronograph to the Porsche 919 Hybrid racing car. Click on the link below to read my story from last year…
For this 84th edition of the most eagerly anticipated 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race (it is the big battle Audi versus Porsche!), Chopard presents the Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Black Edition, a 100-piece limited series only available in Chopard boutiques around the world. The imposing 45 mm-diameter case made in titanium is bead-blasted and then blackened by a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) treatment ensuring an extremely scratch-resistant coating.
The “engine” of the new chronograph ist the Chopard Calibre 03.05M entirely produced and assembled in Chopard’s Fleurier Ebauches workshops. The mechanical self-winding chronograph movement is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). The movement delivers a substantial 60-hour power reserve and features a flyback function.
Did you notice that this is a sports chronograph where everything was designed and realized according to the unwritten rules of good and traditional watchmaking? Believe me guys not all manufactures respect these rules!
The red central chronograph hand and the two red hands of the sub dials indicate by their unique color to what part of the watch they belong, so does the red start/stopp push piece …
The three white small indices in-between the red indices of the seconds on the rehaut of the dial are correct according to the frequency of the balance-wheel and therefore enable the correct readability of the measured 1/8th of a second.
The high contrast of black and white of the dial couldn’t be better …
BRAVO Chopard!
Ref. 168535-3005 – 100-piece limited edition
Chopard Boutique Exclusive
Case:
- Bead-blasted DLC-blackened titanium
- Total diameter 45 mm
- Thickness 15,18 mm
- Water resistance 100 metres
- Matt black rubber-coated screw-lock crown 8 mm with steering wheel emblem
- Steel pushers cpted with red rubber (2 o’clock) and black rubber (4 o’clock)
- Glareproofed sapphire crystal
- Exhibition back with “Official Timing Partner Porsche Motorsport” transfer and Porsche Motorsport logo
- Engraved and black-lacquered titanium bezel with tachymeter function, secured by eight screws in PVD-blackened steel
Movement:
- Mechanical self-winding chronograph Chopard 03.05-M
- Total diameter 28,8 mm
- Number of jewels 45
- Power reserve 60 hours
- Frequency 28,800 A/h (= 4 Hz)
- Chronometer-certified (COSC)
Dial and hands:
- Matt black dial with red and white transfers on the inner bezel ring
- “919” logo in the hours counter at 9 o’clock
- Superluminova-painted metallic black hours and minutes hands and metallic hour-markers
- Arrow-tipped central sweep-seconds hand
- Red minutes and hours counter hands
- Metallic black seconds counter hand
Functions and displays:
- Central display of the hours, minutes and seconds
- Small seconds at 6 o’clock
- Date through a window between 4 and 5 o’clock
- Chronograph – stop seconds function
- Flyback function
- 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock
- Tachymeter
Bracelet and clasp:
- Black rubber strap (slick tyre tread motif)
- Folding clasp in bead-blasted, DLC-blackened titanium
Price:
- 12.580 Euro including 20 % VAT.
