Automotive
KMII announces Montblanc's new five-year partnership as the official timing partner for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, starting in June 2017. This collaboration aligns Montblanc's TimeWalker chronographs with the event's theme, 'Peaks of Performance - Motorsport's Game Changers,' celebrating iconic racing machines and their impact on motorsport history.
"By whose definition was it insane? It got out of hand because the cars were so prone to catch fire. The really bad accidents were because of that. Yes, for public roads, they became too fast - but man can handle amazing things, and to find out where the limit is you have to go too far and then come back. That's what the world is all about".
- Ari Vatanen
The 29th of June, 2017, is the date when a new five-year partnership between Montblanc and the Goodwood Festival of Speed will be consummated - namely on that date Montblanc will start its currently agreed five year stint as the official timing partner of this storied motorsport event.
This year's theme - 'Peaks of Performance - Motorsport's Game Changers' presents a perfect entry point for the new line of TimeWalker chronographs, and will celebrate racing machines that were so fast, powerful and complicated that the rules had to be changed to rein them in. Like the 'Group B' that Ari Vatanen so aptly described in the opening quote.
From: Telegraph
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed can be described as one of the largest celebrations of automotive and racing culture worldwide and has been an annual occurrence - in its modern form - since the Earl of March re-launched it in 1993. Its origins date back to a Lancia Car Club hillclimb first hosted by the present Earl's grandfather - famous race car driver Freddie March - in front of the estate in 1936.
The heart piece of the event is the 1.16 miles long Hillclimb but there is a rally course, too, as well as a race track used for the Goodwood Revival, amongst others.
Enter Montblanc as Official Timing Partner of Goodwood Festival of Speed
Since the launch of Montblanc's refreshed TimeWalker line at SIHH 2017 (more on that here: www.watchprosite.com here: www.watchprosite.com and here: www.watchprosite.com for details) it was obvious that there would be an official tie-up of some sort to celebrate the announced motorsport connection.
The two gentlemen in the picture below, present at the pre-SIHH launch event in Geneva, were a possible further indication in this direction, so I started equipping most of my posts on Montblanc TimeWalker series since with fitting Ari Vatanen quotes.
I can attest from personal experience that both Rene Arnoux (former Formula 1 driver with Renault, Ferrari and Ligier) and Ari Vatanen (WRC champion and 4 times Rally Paris-Dakar winner) are still in peak form.
Montblanc's heritage as a producer of timing instruments is certainly undoubted. The Minerva manufacture has been at the forefront of stop watch development in the 20th century, launching its first stop watch that could measure with precision of 1/100ths of a second in 1916. By the time the Goodwood hillclimb was carried out for the first time in 1936, a second generation improved chronograph model was already available.
This tradition has been maintained since the brand was integrated into Montblanc with pieces such as the TimeWalker Chronograph 100 from 2014 (more on that: www.watchprosite.com and the newly launched TimeWalker Chronograph 1000 Limited Edition 18 (going even further, with a precision down to 1/1000ths of a second).
According to Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO, "Goodwood is the ultimate celebration of the traditions and achievements of automotive racing over the past century, while Montblanc's watchmaking heritage is closely tied to the chronographs used during the glory days of motor racing. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the perfect platform to present our new TimeWalker collection as this partnership brings together the ambition of pushing boundaries in the field of automotive performance and racing on one side, and on innovating in the field of timekeeping performance on the other".
To celebrate this year's theme of 'Peaks of Performance - Motorsport's Game Changers', Montblanc will present the 'Game Changers' collection of 10 cars that best epitomise disruption in motor racing from the 1920s to the present day. For each iconic automobile of the 'Game Changers Presented by Montblanc', its magnificent history will be highlighted in detail and they will also tackle the fabled Goodwood hill climb throughout the weekend.
Verdict
There are few events as fitting as what Montblanc is planning with the TimeWalker line as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It has a huge following amongst petrolheads and is known to feature everything from turn-of-the-century pioneering machinery to modern super cars and race cars, as well as prototypes yet to reach serial production. As such, it appeals to a very broad base - which is appropriate given the range that the new TimeWalker will cover.
The five year partnership could be a great start to a long term relationship, like that enjoyed between Chopard and the Mille Miglia over several decades now, and could provide watch enthusiasts with many fascinating timepieces in the years to come, as a result.
And the cocktail seems to have exciting ingredients, whether you are into very traditional chronography - as exhibited with the TimeWalker Chronograph Rally Timer Counter Limited Edition 100 - or into cutting edge modern iterations, such as the TimeWalker Chronograph 1000 Limited Edition 18.
It could be a great vehicle (pun intended) to push Montblanc's watchmakers to go beyond the horological limit to find out where it is, to misquote Ari Vatanen somewhat. And this can only be a good thing for us PuristS and those like us.
The Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph 100 is a significant model within the TimeWalker collection, showcasing Montblanc's technical capabilities in high-frequency chronometry. It draws inspiration from Minerva's historical expertise in stopwatches capable of measuring small fractions of a second, aligning with Montblanc's renewed focus on its heritage.
This timepiece features a dual-frequency movement, allowing for precise measurement down to 1/100th of a second. The case design incorporates modern materials, reflecting a contemporary aesthetic while retaining elements like the central counter indices and the 12 o'clock chronograph actuator, reminiscent of vintage Minerva stopwatches.
The TimeWalker Chronograph 100 is notable for its blend of traditional watchmaking with modern engineering, appealing to collectors who appreciate both historical provenance and innovative technical performance. Its release coincided with Montblanc's 'Heritage' collection, reinforcing the brand's commitment to its Minerva legacy.
From 2012 to 2016, the official partner at Goodwood was TAG Heuer. Of course, other brands had their VIP stands and refreshment areas too. With the Porsche Motorsport partnership, Chopard was present at the Porsche CAFE. I must admit to some bemusement at some of the other brands at Goodwood without racing heritage but I guess they were the luxury lifestyle aspect of the weekend Bremont? Cartier? Breguet? Regards, MTF Porsche CAFE at Goodwood FOS Porsche and Chopard at Goodwood FOS Brendon Hartl
TAG Heuer and Montblanc via Minerva, as well as Chopard have definitely built up their motorsport credibility via a long and determined effort and are in my humble opinion among the few possible partners that really fit to the event. Rolex has at least been a long time sponsor and official timing partner of motorsport activities, too, even if they have never focused heavily on chronographs beyond their Daytona. So it\'s a sensible choice. That other brands try to utilise the event and the public
Although with sales growth in Japan, maybe a Japanese car is not out of the question... Regards, MTF
Chopard and Porsche vs. Montblanc and Toyota? Although I guess you're even more right with your first comment - would fit nicely with Audi or MB... But I believe both are taken watch wise for the moment...
It could be VW. Audi was partnered with Oris for 2014-2016 but don't know for 2017. Skoda sponsors bicycle racing. Regards, MTF
Bicycle racing is probably not quite in line with what MB is planning, and having Oris for Audi and MB for the 'lesser brands' may not please the Hamburg brand BMW is doing things with Ball in the US but not sure they have got a global watch partnership going at the moment...
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