The new Laureato "USA-98" for Oracle; some impressions of the steel/white dial variant

G'day,

the team of BMW ORACLE Racing is doing great in the Louis Vuitton Cup!
Almost all races won, BMOR currently shares the leading place with team Luna Rossa!!!
There´s some exciting coverage over on the team page, as well as the America´s Cup official website; click here for the results of the last races!

We´ve had a look at the commemorative line for BMW ORACLE Racing and the 10 (!) new models for 2007 a bit earlier.
And admittedly, not every piece did speak to me in the same degree; the DLC-coated Titanium model for sure rocks, but i had some reservations due to the unusual colour combinations of other models.

During the Geneva watch fair, there´s been a chance to have a closer view of the watches in the metal and, no surprise for a GP timepiece, the actual watches are much better than the press pics may promise.
The size of 46mm is certainly anything than a small watch, but it´s not as bulky and oversized as one might suspect. In fact, all Laureato variants are very wearable and feel decidedly substantial, but still comfortable.
It´s definetely not carrying a brick on your wrist, so don´t be put off by sheer paper specs.

Some earlier remarks commented on the dials, which are a bit colourful for a "tool watch".
Still i found them attractive, because they aren´t the same we´ve got to see on the market.
And a surprise to me is the white dial/steel case model, which i find a lot nicer than earlier pictures may suggest.
It´s certainly not a monochrome piece or subtle (which the sheer size won´t allow anyway), but not as "in your face" as i thought it would be.

Please feel kindly invited for a closer look; i find the dial pretty interesting, as the structured surface really sets it apart:

A feature which i find particularly lovely is the central minute counter; paired with a flyback function of these models, it´s pretty unusual.

As with all models of the new 2007 "Pour BMW ORACLE Racing" line except the Regatta Tourbillon, the "USA-98" Laureato models come with a solid back which features the silhouette of the race yacht, a commemorative engraving and the individual edition number:

As you see, the case back is curved and the lugs are quite a bit longer than regular Laureato models. Both account for wearing comfort.
So don´t be shy of these big watches

All in all, the "white" version appeals to me a lot more than i thought earlier; i find the combination of white rubber strap and white structured dial to work well, with the colour spots on the dial and hands to be interesting details and less obtrusive than expected!

Thanks for looking!

Cheers,

Peter