Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
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Richard Mille's passion for excellence inspired him to honor Formula One champion Felipe Massa with this namesake timepiece. Hence, the movements are of a powerful caliber and offer a host of extra timing functions. To cultivate partnerships with automobile makers, some watchmakers create timepieces that recall interior and exterior features of cars with masterful excellence, whereas other watch brands choose to sponsor drivers or serve as the official timers of racing events. In the 1950s, when drag racing took place through the unpaved streets of Aspen, TAG Heuer and Rolex were among the first on the racing scene. Heuer (today TAG Heuer) timed events such as the Twelve Hours of Sebring. The brand unveiled the Carrera in 1963 and then the Monaco, named for the Monaco Grand Prix and made famous by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans. The Monaco made news as the first automatic, square-cased chronograph, and the renowned Carrera celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. After Colorado Governor Edwin C. Johnson banned racing on public thoroughfares in 1955, Aspenites united to build the state's second racetrack, a 1.1-mile course now called Aspen Motorsports Park, and held the first race there in 1963. In that same year, as the racecar craze swept across the nation, Rolex created the Cosmograph Daytona watch in honor of the race at Florida's Daytona International Speedway. Since then, the presence of the Rolex brand in automobile racing has steadily increased. Rolex has been the title sponsor of the Rolex 24 At Daytona in North America since 1992 and has been the official timekeeper for 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001. Similarly, IWC Schaffhausen has an ongoing partnership with Mercedes AMG, recently an nouncing that for the next three years it will be the official engineering partner of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team. As such, IWC Schaffhausen has revamped its famed Ingeniuer Collection of timepieces (first unveiled in the '70s) with automotive-inspired designs and high-tech auto-racing materials, such as carbon fiber and titanium. A relative newcomer to the scene, Richard Mille moves deftly in this stealth arena, with several brand ambassadors on board from the racing scene (including Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa and French multiwinning champion Sébastien Loeb) and with some of the most high-tech, cutting-edge, lightweight, automotive-inspired watches in the world. AP Wristwatches and cars share a need for precision timing and excellence in engineering. A MINUTE WITH SÉBASTIEN LOEB OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: IWC's Ingenieur AMG Black Series 46mm Ceramic watch ($12,300) houses a 28-jewel movement with Pellaton automatic winding. The watch, with integrated shockabsorption system, is fitted with a black rubber strap with calfskin inlay. Meridian Jewelers, 525 E. Cooper St., 970-925-3833; iwc.com Richard Mille recently brought on a new brand ambassador: French rally driver Sébastien Loeb, the most successful driver in World Rally Championships with a record-breaking nine wins in a row, including this January's Monte Carlo Rally. "I don't like classic watches," says Loeb. "Richard doesn't do classic. He creates watches with incredible mechanics, and this is what motor sports is all about—mechanics and split-second timing when racing." Loeb wasn't always a racer. He began as a gymnast and won several titles. "I didn't grow up around [racing]; I discovered it all by myself. I started driving in little rallies at 22. Finally, when I was 27, I competed seriously. [At] 28 I won my first rally. I will always remember the first victory. It was very special to me." He adds, "I think that driving is a question of feeling. You need to have a natural feel for it. If you don't feel it right away when you are behind the wheel, then it won't come. Then, to race, you need a good team behind you. Everything has to be perfect." Loeb, whose impossible schedule takes him around the globe, says time is of the essence for him. "Yet I always seem to be late. I hope my Richard Mille watch helps me stay on time." Crafted in stainless steel, the 43mm Carrera Calibre 1887 watch ($6,300) from TAG Heuer features the brand's automatic chronograph functions and sports the same simple design as its predecessor but in a size measuring 2mm larger. Williams Jewelers at Cherry Creek, 2825 E. Third Ave., Denver, 303-355-4322; tagheuer.com This Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona ($28,800) is crafted in 18k gold and features a small second hand and minute and hour recorders for the chronograph. Meridian Jewelers, SEE ABOVE ; rolex.com The principal partner of the Le Mans Classic since 2002, Richard Mille offers the RM 011 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Felipe Massa Watch ($115,000), a limited edition of 30 pieces in brown titanium. The timepiece features a skeletonized automatic movement with flyback chronograph and adjustable rotor geometry. Silver Threads, 308 S. Galena St., 970-429-4670; richardmille.com The rally racer and Richard Mille ambassador slows down to share his boldness on and off the track. Sébastien Loeb ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM 109 108-110_AP_SS_TimeHonored_Sum_Fall_13.indd 109 5/6/13 10:54 AM