Ornatus-Mundi's report details the record-breaking 2017 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (DGR), a global charity event supported by Zenith watches. The article highlights the impressive scale of participation—70,000 riders across 95 countries—and the significant funds raised for prostate cancer and men's mental health. It also showcases Zenith's special Pilot Ton Up DGR edition, reinforcing the brand's commitment to this noble cause.
This year's edition was a record-breaking event with more than 70,000 gentlefolk and their motorbikes gathering for
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride 2017 in 600 cities scattered in 95 countries around the world. The proceeds are donated for the Movember Foundation dedicated to fund research on the fight against prostate cancer.
Zenith has been sponsoring this event globally for some time now, and auctioned off #0 or a special
Pilot Ton Up watch for € 7500.
(centre in polo shirt: Zenith's CEO Julien Tornare, right; DGR's founder Mark Hawwa)Can the concentration of refined style and superb motorcycles (more specifically, vintage ones, café racers, scooters, and the like) be any higher than on 24 September 2017?
I'd really like to repeat the numbers: 70,000 gentlefolk/600 cities/95 countries. That's a considerable up from last year's outcome: 56,000 riders/500 cities/90 countries. But it is not only the participation, its the bottom line that counts:
Through the efforts of the
Movember Foundation more than 8mio US$ have already been collected to finance prostate cancer and men’s mental health programmes. The foundation's
Dinstinguished Gentleman's Ride is the most visible activity, particularly since brands of international repute, amongst them
motorcycle maker Triumph and
watchmaker Zenith jumped on board, – and pass the USD 5 million mark this year (having already raised more than USD 8M since it was created by the Australian Mark Hawwa in 2012).
(DGR's founder Mark Hawwa sporting the Zenith Pilot Ton Up DGR Special Edition which was auctioned off later that evening)Zenith created six very special numbered
Pilot Ton-Up watches in aged steel cases, each bearing the inscription
DGR 2017, celebrating timeless design and ageless mechanics for a good cause.
Five were intended as gifts to the main donors, while a special “Number
0” model has been auctioned, raising 7’500 Euros, on behalf of the
Movember Foundation at an exceptional gala evening in Milan with the
presence of Zenith CEO Julien Tornare, and Mark Hawwa, founder of the
event.
(delight about the foundraising's success, here the main event in Milan, with Zenith CEO Julien Tornare (3rd from right), and Mark Hawwa, founder of the
event (2nd from right))Below a few images from around the world.
The Zenith manufacture in Le Locle:
London:
Main event in
Milan:
(Zenith CEO Julien Tornare (left), and noted watch journalist Peter Braun (Armanduhren, Germany; right))
(Zenith CEO Julien Tornare)
I myself attened the DGR in
Vienna, a few impressions:
Vintage above, modern (but vintage inspired) below:
Tsss, may I kiss you?
Style is not a question of horsepower, not at all!
Motorised steampunk (even road legal!):
Superleggera, Vespa style:
Focus on the essential (i), the speedometer is not (note size)!
Focus on the essential (ii), your attitude ...
Café
racer musicians...
Zenith had very fitting watches in the past (property of Michael Greiner), but also...
Limited editions, who love to mingle with like kin...
Your author spotted...
(Michael Greiner, Zeitenblick watch magazine Vienna, renowned watch expert Alexander Linz, and yours truly)Congratulations Zenith, for this worthwhile and successful fundraising event. Well done, & may the next edition top this again!
Cheers,
Magnus
