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Early in 2010, the decidedly 21st-century McLaren Technology Centre proved the perfect venue for TAG Heuer's launch of its 150th anniversary celebrations. QP was there to hear the speeches, toast the future, witness the rebirth of a classic watch - and see Lewis Hamilton being sent home for an early night...
Yes I'm as cynical as the next hack. But that didn't stop a lump arriving in my throat when out of the black of a rain-soaked Surrey night a 1986 McLaren Formula One car - spectacularly illuminated by pink fibre optics - came snaking along the approach road to the front door of the MCT. It didn't take long to work out that the driver was Lewis Hamilton and suspicions were confirmed when he pulled off his logo-bedecked crash helmet to reveal an expression of pure delight at having experienced an albeit short drive in the actual car that helped Alain Prost win the F1 World Championship for the second time.
Hamilton is paid to talk at events such as this - but for a few seconds he seemed genuinely lost for words, marveling at how different Grand Prix racing must have been before electronics played a pivotal role in motorsport. He is also likely to have been reflecting on the fact that he was not even one year old when Prost last drove the car in anger.
A Classic Reborn
But when Hamilton and Dennis stood up to say a few words along with TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Cristophe Babin, McLaren Racong boss Martin Whitmarsh and, of course, Jack Heuer, (four speeches is usually enough) there was a distinct feeling that some members of the audience were distracted by what Lewis Hamilton had on his wrist. It turned out to be the re-born version of one of Heuer's great driving watches of the past, the Silverstone of 1974.
"I want to keep it," said Hamilton into the microphone.
"We're sure they'll let you." though the audience.
While the Monaco V4 goes on sale this year as a mark of TAG Heuer's take on the future of watchmaking, the brand's all important past is being represented by the Silverstone which is almost as redolent of the high octane world of 1970s pit lanes as the Cosmograph Daytona or, indeed, the Heuer Monaco.
"We launched the Silverstone as a less aggressive alternative to the Monaco, but the case maker went out of business so no more than 5000 of the original were ever produced." Jack Heuer told QP. "The watch was always one of my favourite designs and it is wonderful to see it back, but if anyone had told me that it would still be around 36 years after we first made it, I would never have believed them."
Although Baselworld will give many people the first opportunity to see the watch, it officially went on sale in February with a limited choice of blue or brown dials, each in a limited edition of 1860 pieces, to mark Heuer's founding year - and with its left hand winding crown and TAG-free Heuer logo it's a dead ringer for the original (apart from its sapphire crystal back). The £4600 price tag also includes the sort of perforated leather strap that is de rigeuer on any self-respecting retro driver's watch and, needless to say, the arrival of the reincarnation has sent the price of the original models soaring.
Although Bonhams auctioneers sold a delectable, maroon-dialed version in November for around £1,500, Jean-Cristophe Babin revealed that he had to pay considerably more to secure a couple at the Patrizzi and Co sale of a single-owner Heuer collection in Milan. "Everyone seemed to want to buy them, but we needed them for the museum so I was forced to pay more than €4500 each - but I'm please to have bought them now rather than in a year's time because prices are bound to be higher." said Babin.
In addition to the Silverstone, TAG Heuer also pulled the wraps off a limited edition anniversary set comprising a special version of the Grand Carrera Calibre 17RS chronograph and a Meridist mobile telephone. An anniversary-appropriate 150 sets will be made, each supplied in a hand stitched 'steamer' style trunk made by Parisian luggage maestro Fred Pinel that, rather neatly, houses a USB connector to recharge the TAG Heuer phone and a watch winder. The two components of the set carry matching edition numbers, and the watch also differs from the standard model in having orange strap stitching.
After the grand unveilings, all that remained was to sit down and celebrate the birthday in style at an extraordinary table that stretched the entire length of McLaren's not insignificant trophy room. But the fun didn't last long for Lewis Hamilton - at the stroke of 10 o'clock, Ron Dennis took him gently by the shoulders and told us that the 2008 Formula 1 world champion was about to say goodbye.
"He's got to work tomorrow - can't let him get too tired," explained Dennis. And, on this point, Hamilton wasn't about to argue.
Simon de Burton
Originally published in QP Magazine issue 41 (2010)
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