Regular readers might recall last year’s feature about the lure of long-distance rallying, which included tips and insights into this addictive form of the sport from competitor Daniel Spadini.
Spadini’s tales of his exploits on events such as the Peking to Paris and the Inca Trail were inspirational – now he’s preparing his Citroën DS for next year’s London to Sydney prior to another crack at the ‘P to P’ in 2022. On the (rare) occasions when he’s not driving insane distances in old cars, Spadini runs a business called Alatron that, among other things, makes high-quality Swiss watches and clocks on a private label basis for numerous well-known brands.
So Alatron was the obvious choice when classic rally organiser HERO-ERA decided to commission a watch that would not only do justice to its logo but would also prove its worth as a true tool when worn by drivers and navigators during the thick of a gruelling long-distance event – the result is what you see here. Spadini’s extensive rallying knowledge came to the fore in the design, which majors on simplicity, legibility and robustness.
The substantial 44mm steel case can be obtained in regular or PVD finish while the aluminium 24-hour bezel – which works in tandem with the secondary hour hand to provide a GMT function – has a two-tone finish to quickly indicate whether it is night or day in the home time zone. While the shape is reminiscent of a Panerai design, the watch overall is very much its own, with applied numbers and brass main hands in-filled with a helping of SuperLuminova for legibility during those tricky night stages, plus the red varnish of the GMT pointer.
A small date window and the HERO-ERA emblems topped by a sapphire crystal complete the front, while turning the watch over reveals a mineral glass case back that allows a view of the well-finished Swiss Soprod C125 movement with a Geneva Striped winding rotor and a planished main plate.
This really does seem like a great driving watch that looks capable of standing up to some serious behind-the-wheel adventures. Each one will be supplied in a leather pouch, with the first 200 sold also being number-stamped and accompanied by a certificate. And £100 from each one will be donated to the rally organisation’s charity Hero2Help, which has already raised £20,000 for the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic. Horophiles who are interested in or who have entered the 2022 Peking to Paris should also stand-by for a watch dedicated to the event being designed and made by Alatron.
HERO-ERA watch. £1300 from heroevents.eu
Japanese designer Hiroshima Fujiwara last co-operated with TAG Heuer on a project in late 2018 when he made a decent fist of subtly re-mastering the hallowed Carrera. This time he has been at work on the O2 chronograph, paring down markings and adding touches of red, even tinting the sapphire case back. The black opaline dial now looks beautifully clean and functional, with the additional ‘Fragment’ branding. Just 500 examples will be available and it’s on sale now. TAG Heuer x Fragment Design.
€5800, tagheuer.com
If you find Fragment’s TAG Heuer lacking in the ‘ red’ department, how about this chronograph from Zürich-based driving watch maker Maurice de Mauriac? The latest development of its classic L3 model, its domed crystal and transparent back both sport a fiery red finish. Said to have been inspired by the clean graphics and typography of the post-war Zürich ‘School of Concrete’ art movement, its blackened case can be had on a choice of different coloured leather straps. It could be a hard act to follow…. Maurice de Mauriac ‘L3 Sees Red’.
£4450, mauricedemauriac.com
