- 1963 12 Hours of Sebring GT class-winning Jaguar Lightweight E-type inspires new white-dial Bremont MKII chronograph
- Watch design includes new hands and red-stitched strap as a nod to number 23’s red racing stripes, alongside E-type steering wheel and tyre tread cues
Whitley, Coventry, 27 February 2017: In 1963, a legend was born, which continues to be celebrated decades later. Just 18 Lightweight E-type racing cars were intended to go into production, but only 12 were manufactured – until Jaguar completed the final six in 2014. The car found immortality on a Florida racetrack at the 12 Hours of Sebring, one of the foremost endurance races of its era. Two Lightweight E-types led the field in the GT 4.0 class and number 23, in Old English White with bold red and blue stripes, crossed the finish line first.
Number 23’s victory is still celebrated today. And with such a distinguished racing history, Bremont has chosen this car as the inspiration for its new MKII chronograph. Through the launch of Bremont’s E-type collection the British watch company has paid homage to the dial and car designs of that time, a source of constant inspiration for co-founders Nick and Giles English. This new white-dialed counterpart to the existing Bremont Jaguar range incorporates very similar design features to the successful MKII black dial, but with a new internal tachymeter dial ring which can be used to measure speed. The Sebring MKII also has new hands and a red stitched ‘racing’ leather strap, a nod to the red racing stripes which adorned the car and the vintage embroidered branding details.
Bremont has enjoyed a very special relationship with Jaguar over the years. Nick and myself have always loved the old E-types and were thrilled to be a part of the Lightweight story in 2014 when Jaguar completed the production run of these 18 original racing cars from the 60s. The Sebring has such a lovely story in its own right, having won its class in 1963, so seemed a natural source of inspiration for our new MKII release.
Giles English
Bremont co-founder
The MKII model, designed to instantly transport the wearer back to the golden era of 1960s sports car motoring, carries the Jaguar heritage logo above the six o’clock position as well as hour markings in the style of the numerals found on E-type instruments. The classic chronograph layout – featuring two subdials at the three o’clock and nine o’clock positions – is achieved through the use of the beautifully decorated BE-50AE automatic movement which has been customised by Bremont to a unique specification. A subtle ‘red line’ on the 60-minute counter pays tribute to the E-type’s tachometer.
The 43mm, polished stainless steel case – fitted with a double-domed crystal to enhance the vintage appearance of the watch – is made entirely in the UK by Bremont using its renowned, three-part ‘Trip-Tick’ technology which ensures a hardness seven times greater than that of a normal steel watch. Visible through a sapphire crystal case back, the mechanism again takes design cues from the E-type with an automatic ‘steering wheel’ winding weight. Further automotive imagery can be seen in the ‘tyre tread’ winding crown, which is topped with the Jaguar heritage logo to match that of the dial.
The MKII pieces capture the spirit of what is undoubtedly one of the most iconic sports cars of all time in a subtle and intelligent way. All the Bremont Jaguar watches subtly relay some of the codes of the E-type, but are also easy to recognise as having been created with the car in mind. They simply look absolutely right when you wear them in the driving seat – almost as if they had been designed alongside the car back in the 60s.
