- British watch company Bremont partners with Jaguar to create a series of six limited edition wristwatches
- These watches will complement the six continuation Lightweight E‑Type vehicles being built by Jaguar Heritage
- This Bremont 43mm watch will feature a black dial based on the Lightweight E‑Type tachometer
- Chamfered hour and minute hands replicate a tachometer needle
- Chassis number of the matching Lightweight E‑Type will be featured at the six o'clock position. Each watch also carries the engine number of the car
- Aluminum remaining from the Lightweight E‑Type build will be used to build these watches
- Bremont debuts first proprietary self‑winding movement chronometer rated for accuracy and fitted with 'steering wheel' rotor
- Winding crown engraved with the pattern of the period‑correct racing tires
- Alloy‑spoked Lightweight steering wheel with authentic wooden rim found at the back of each watch.
- Watch will make its public debut alongside the new Lightweight E‑Type at Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance on August 14, 2014
(MAHWAH, N.J.) ‑ August 11, 2014 ‑ Today Jaguar announces further news in its relationship with the Bremont Watch Company and reveals one of six unique wristwatches to be offered to customers of the six new Lightweight E‑Type vehicles to be built by Jaguar Heritage.
"The Lightweight E‑Type project is so special that we thought we really needed to create something which complemented the cars and, since most classic enthusiasts also tend to be horophiles, a wristwatch seemed to be the answer," says Jaguar director of design, Ian Callum.
"Bremont was the obvious choice as a partner, both because we have worked closely together in the past on the clocks for the C‑X75 and XJ75 Platinum concept cars and because, like Jaguar, it is a quintessentially British brand."
Callum continued: "We didn't want a watch that was too obvious in terms of design, but something which captured the spirit of the Lightweight in a subtle yet relevant way and I think Bremont has certainly achieved that goal."
Giles English, who co‑founded Bremont in 2002 with his brother, Nick, says the new Lightweight watches provided the firm with the perfect opportunity to take the important step of launching its own proprietary movement.
"We have been working on designing, developing and producing our first exclusive movement for more than a year, and it seems fitting that it is going to make one of its first appearances in this very special watch for Jaguar," said Giles English
"Creating the watch proved to be a fascinating project, as we were given access to the Jaguar archives in order, for example, to ascertain the exact font for the numerals used on the dial of the original rev counters. The fact that we were required to make just six examples enabled us to be very creative in a way that is not always possible when designing a watch for larger scale production ‑ and that's why we have been able to feature touches such as using real wood for the rim of the 'steering wheel' winding rotor. Each watch is, essentially, bespoke."
Drawing inspiration directly from the car, the 43mm watch features a black dial based on the look of a Lightweight tachometer and features a subtle 'red zone' quadrant. The chamfered hour and minute hands replicate the instrument's tachometer needle, while the chassis number of the relevant car is printed at the six o'clock position.
The central band of the white gold case is made from aluminum remaining from construction of the new Lightweight body panels and will be anodized to match the color of the car it is designed to complement.
Other touches include a winding crown which is engraved with the pattern of the period‑correct racing tires used on the continuation Lightweights, and straps made from the same Connolly leather which is being used for the interior trim.
Turning the watch over reveals an automatic winding rotor shaped like the alloy‑spoked Lightweight steering wheel, which is visible through a sapphire crystal case back. The details of the rotor include an authentic wooden rim. The back of each watch carries the engine number of the car it is paired with.
Jaguar first collaborated with the British watch company during the launch of the cutting edge Jaguar C‑X75 in 2010, for which Bremont developed an analog dashboard clock keeping with the 778 horsepower hybrid supercar's futuristic nature and 205 mph performance.
The two quintessentially British firms have now reinforced their partnership following the announcement earlier this year that Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations division would complete the Lightweight E‑Type project through its Jaguar heritage division.
The new cars are the 'missing' six vehicles from the 'Special GT E‑type' project, which originally started in February 1963 with the objective of building 18 cars. Only 12 of the aluminum‑bodied Lightweight E‑Type vehicles were eventually built and the remaining six designated chassis numbers having lain dormant, until now. The six new cars will carry those original, historic Lightweight E‑Type chassis numbers.
Each of the six cars will be built to the exact specification of the last Lightweight E‑Type produced in 1964 and will be hand‑crafted at the original home of the E‑Type, Browns Lane in Coventry, England. The cars will be sold as period competition vehicles and all will be suitable for FIA homologation for historic motorsport purposes.
A race winner in the hands of a variety of famous drivers during its competitive career, the car has achieved worldwide fame and original examples are highly sought after. In recreating the Lightweight E‑Type, Jaguar Heritage has been able to call on the superlative skills and experience of many talented engineers and technicians within JLR.
The launch of this exclusive Lightweight E‑Type watch marks the start of a long term relationship for Jaguar and Bremont. Future editions will be announced at a later date.
SPECIFICATIONS ‑ BREMONT LIGHTWEIGHT E‑TYPE CHRONOMETER
Case: 43mm white gold case with aluminum center ring made from the remaining material used in the construction of the Lightweight E‑Type
Movement: BWC/01 Bremont proprietary, self‑winding movement, chronometer rated for accuracy and fitted with 'steering wheel' rotor.
Dial: Based on Lightweight tachometer and marked with car chassis number.
Strap: Connolly leather, same as used for Lightweight E‑Type upholstery.
Number to be built: Six
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About Jaguar
Jaguar is a premier manufacturer of luxury sedans and sports cars offering unparalleled design with tremendous performance. The company's vision throughout its storied history has been simple: To produce beautiful, fast cars that are desired the world over. Jaguar strives to provide a world class ownership experience to every owner. Today's Jaguar lineup consists of the XJ luxury sedan, XF sports sedan, the XK Coupe and Convertible sports cars and the two‑seater F‑TYPE. Jaguar designs, engineers and manufactures exclusively in the United Kingdom, at the Castle Bromwich manufacturing plant in the British Midlands. Jaguar is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information visit the official Jaguar website at http://www.jaguarusa.com.
About Jaguar Land Rover
• The United States is one of the leading global markets for both Jaguar and Land Rover
• Jaguar Land Rover employs 25,000 people and sells vehicles in 170 countries around the world
• Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and design facilities and three advanced manufacturing plants in the UK
• Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA
• Jaguar Land Rover is represented by more than 330 independently operated retail outletsin the USA