It was the perfect way of launching the new Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe Flyback Rattrapante Grande Date. Follow me to the Hungaroring near Budapest.
You probably already know that Blancpain CEO Marc Hayek has a great passion for motorsports. Together with Peter Kox, Marc drives Lamborghini GT racecars provided from Reiter Engineering at the ADAC GT-Masters, The FIA GT1 World Championship and the Blancpain Endurance Series. So Marc and Blancpain are fully engaged in car racing and this passion is for sure not just printing a logo on the dial of some Blancpain sport watches.
During the last two days I had the opportunity to join Marc, Peter and the Reiter Team at a training session at the Hungaroring near Budapest together with four other colleagues and a very small group of friends of Marc Hayek.
Joining a motorsport team in full action for us also meant to actively drive these Lamborghini racecars on the Hungaroring. Guys, believe me this was an experience I will never forget. It was more than challenging and of course thrilling to handle the almost 600 HPs of these Lamborghini GT cars on the track. Thanks to some instructors Peter brought along we really learned a lot and we had the chance to get the feeling to drive such cars in a quick and save manner.
While we were having fun “poor” Marc and Peter were doing a lot of testing and training …
But there was also enough time left to discover and see a new watch and it is now Blancpain CEO Marc Hayek who will present you the self-winding Split-Seconds Flyback Chronograph with Large Date, 24-hour counter, carbon fibre dial, alcantara strap with carbon fibre inserts, buckle with carbon fibre insert …
Blancpain CEO Marc Hayek
This is the 43 mm Blancpain L-Evolution-R Chronographe Flyback Rattrapante Grande Date. It is a limited series of only 24 pieces dedicated to the legendary 24-hour endurance races like the 24h of Spa with a special 24-hour-counter shaped as the Lamborghini logo. Engraved on the rotor you see the last year’s GT3 car that also participated in the 24h of Spa and I was lucky to drive in the last days …
Marc Hayek and his new Lamborghini GT3 car for the season 2013
Adrian Bosshard the CEO of Certina and Union Glashütte, a former motorbike champion, and me (standing right). We both are passionate fast cars and racing cars junkies 🙂
- Adrian Bosshard, CEO Certina and Union Glashütte and Alexander Linz
Peter Kox warming up his Lamborghini GT3 before going on the track for some testing. I was filming in horizontal format with my iPhone and now look at this … 🙂
Side activities … We also learned how to drift with a Lamborghini
This was one of the Lamborghini GT cars we were driving the last two days … Always the same procedure… One driver comes back from the track the next one gets in …
… and there the driver leaves to race on the track again …
For more information about Peter Kox and the Reiter Engineering Team please switch to these websites
What a fugly watch! Perfect for a walk in the red light district. Some years ago Blancpain made nice watches.
Hello Alexander,
can you say something about the movement?
Is it an inhouse calibre?
As far as I can see, it reminds me on a modified frederic piguet cal 1185.
Yes, of course the movement is based on the FP. FP today is fully integrated in Blancpain and in fact no longer exists. Improvements have been made since all Swatch Group calibers are steadily improved
Alexander
This explains the price of watches…
Florian, then obviously you don’t know the brand. A Blancpain never was a bargain. It’s a luxury watch and this has absolutely nothing to do with Marc Hayek’s passion for motorsports. Blancpain takes advantage of these activities and gets more visibility …
That’s real journalism!