Cars, Watches And The Daytona 500
This past weekend, the Daytona 500 took place in Daytona Beach, FL, though certain favorites didn’t make it to the final run, including Kyle Busch, who broke a leg and foot in a hard crash during the Xfinity Series race on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Nonetheless, the race was exciting – with Joey Logano speeding to victory in the 57th Great American Race. Logano is the youngest winner in the history of the Daytona 500 at just 24 years old.
All of the excitement with this race, and others coming into the season, reminds us of the precision mechanics it requires to build these performance engines and the patience and fortitude of the drivers. It is a field not unlike the world of precision mechanics under the hood of a watchcase.
In fact, as more watch brands recognize the synergy between precision mechanics of timepieces and automobiles, they are getting more involved in the world of motorsports. From actually taking title roles as Official Timer of certain races to sponsoring teams, drivers and rallies around the world, watch brands are on top of the fast-paced world of automobiles.
Parmigiani Fleurier has had a decade-long affiliation with Bugatti, and this year at SIHH in Geneva, the brand showcased the three Bugatti watches that marked the 10-year anniversary in 2014 of the brand’s collaboration with Bugatti. New Bugatti watches — whose shape resembles the Bugatti engine — include the Revelation with a flip-top grille that opens to reveal the movement in all its glory beneath a sapphire crystal, the art-deco Victoire with a petrified wood dial akin to the wood used in Bugatti dashboards, and several other new versions — all powered by the PF370 mechanical movement.