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De Blackbird Automotive Group is van alle markten thuis. Passeren ze op DRIVR nogal eens met hun sfeervolle video’s, dan zijn de Honkongers in het echte leven nog met veel meer bezig. Zo vermeldt hun homepage de Heritage Motorworks (voor race-ondersteuning), een Automotive Journal (oftewel een webzine zoals het onze), een Works Supply (alias een gespecialiseerde sleep- en transportdienst) en zelfs een Drivers’ Club (waar je onder gelijkgezinden gaat netwerken). Zeiden we trouwens al dat Blackbird ook de officiële Ferrari-concessie van Hong Kong is?

Introducing Blackbird Watch Manual, a visual synopsis of the intersection between timekeeping and historic moments in culture. In the spirit of Blackbird Automotive, the Watch Manual is a carefully curated look into the world of modern and vintage watches, bringing stories of these Monuments in Time back into focus.

Ter afleiding onderhouden ze tevens een Instagram-account die onze #WatchFriday als gegoten zit. Daarop verschijnen louter historische foto’s, vaak uit de racerij, waar de auteur toelichting bij geeft – altijd in relatie tot het horloge dat doorgaans prominent in beeld is. Zo schaaf je dus niet alleen je motorsportkennis bij, maar ook je horlogeweetjes. En dat voor een medium dat doorgaans onder nuttelloos tijdverdrijf valt. Ha!

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<Champagne for the Pain>⠀ Multi-discipline, multi-decade and the head of a family with multiple generations who have competed in top flight competition, Mario has to his name: 1st in the Indy Car championship in 1965, 1966, 1969 and 1984, 1st in the Daytona 500 in 1967 for Ford, 1st in the Indy 500 in 1969 for Ford, winner of the 1969 Pikes Peak hill climb, 1st in the 12 hours of Sebring in 1967 for Ford and 1970 and 1972 for Ferrari, 1st in the 6 hours of Daytona in 1972 for Ferrari, 1st in the USAC national dirt track championship in 1974, a Formula 1 world championship in 1978 for Lotus, winner of IROC VI in 1979 in a Chevrolet Camaro and 1st in class at Le Mans in 1994 in a Porsche powered Courage. These are just his most notable accomplishments and has won hundreds of individual races across, dirt, tarmac and banked oval tracks. Here he is, the vision of a top tier driver in the 1970s: spraying champagne from the top of the podium with a gold Carrera, reference 1158, on his wrist.⠀ #BlackbirdWM #MonumentsInTime #MarioAndretti #Heuer #Carrera

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<Siffert by Name, Siffert by Nature> One of many drivers who started out on two wheels before moving to four, Jo Siffert's path to the world of top flight racing was not so usual. Born the son of a dairy owner, "Seppi" did not have family money backing his to the grid, so instead dealt in scrap metal and used cars to get his way to the track. This entrepreneurial spirit worked to his favour when Jack Heuer approached him to be an ambassador for the brand during the heated period of 1968, as the arms race for the first automatic chronograph: while of course he would wear a Heuer on his wrist and be paid a fixed fee, he could also buy watches at wholesale pricing and sell them on the grid. This genius move work in favour for all and resulted in many a driver wearing the defining chronograph models of the era, Autavia and Carrera. The particular model shown here on the wrist of Siffert, with white dial and blue accents has simply become known by his name to collectors, and the earliest "Chronomatic" models, change hands for exceptional prices. #BlackbirdWM #MonumentsInTime #JoSiffert #Heuer #Autavia

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<Great Minds Think Alike>⠀ To the untrained eye this might look like two well dressed gentlemen sitting on a wall, considering the meaning of life. But to the knowing motorsport aficionado these faces will be very familiar: Niki Lauda the famed F1 driver and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who at the time of this picture (probably taken during the 1975 or 1976 seasons) was almost certainly Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari. Both sharply attired as one would expect from a top driver in period and an Italian working for the prancing horse, Luca wears an interesting looking dress watch, perhaps a Cartier Tank.⠀ #BlackbirdWM #MonumentsInTime #NikiLauda #LucaDiMontezemolo

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<Multidisciplinary Man> Yacht racer, car manufacturer, Le Mans 24-hour competitor, collector, inventor, entrepreneur, Briggs Cunningham was truly a man who knew how to cross categories. Born into a life of privilege and married into another great dynasty, he was certainly not motivated by money, but probably far more moved by competition. As well as owning the first Ferrari in North America and acquiring a Bugatti Royale, he was also the builder of his own cars for both track, which were competitive in at Le Mans, and for road, with the C3 model representing the pursuit of luxury and featured bodywork by Vignale. Seem here next to his 300SL Gullwing, the very first sold to a customer, and wearing his spectacular Patek Philippe reference 1463 in stainless steel with extremely rare black dial and radium accents, he was truly a man of taste. #BlackbirdWM #MonumentsInTime #BriggsCunningham #PatekPhilippe

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<Let's Get Digital> With the rise of the quartz watch in the in the 1970s, it was inevitable that drivers who were used to cutting edge technology when in the cockpit would start wearing them. Introduced in 1975, the Heuer Microsplit represented a dramatic change of direction for the brand from its classic well-known models, to embracing the new electronic revolution. Featured dual displays, LED and LCD on the early models before moving to just LCD, the design was really a huge step for the remarkable staid Swiss watch industry, and in part came about follow a visit by Jack Heuer to Silicon Valley in 1971. While versions were made featuring the Ferrari cavalino and even for Tiffany & Co, here we have the great Gilles Villeneuve deep in thought wearing the standard model, which he was often seen sporting. #BlackbirdWM #MonumentsInTime #GillesVilleneuve #Heuer #MicroSplit

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<Work Hard, Play Hard> Much like Arturo Merzario who we have featured before, when benchmarked against the personalities of F1 today James Hunt was clearly cut from a different cloth. Here he is seen celebrating his victory at Watkins Glen in 1977 in the way fitting for a champion in period: sitting on his McLaren M26, solid gold watch on the wrist (most likely the Rolex Datejust he is seen wearing in other photos), emblazoned with sponsors logos, cigarette in one hand, beer in the other and Penthouse Pet Stephanie McLean next to him. And while his bad boy reputation was well known, his ability as a driver and the respect he garner from such great drivers as Lauda, Peterson and Scheckter cannot be overlooked, with perhaps his greatest achievement being his well known World Drivers' Championship win in 1976. #BlackbirdWM #MonumentsInTime #JamesHunt

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