From July 4th to 7th 2019, the Goodwood House located in West Sussex, England, will play host to the Festival of Speed, one of the greatest festivals of car culture in the world today and an important fixture on the British social calendar since it was founded 26 years ago by Lord Richmond. Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the history of motoring and motor sport take part in the festivities, joined by some of the most legendary figures from the world of sport as well as international celebrities.
The theme for the 2019 Festival of Speed will be “Speed Kings – Motorsport’s Record Breakers” as “motorsport is about pushing man and machine to the very limit, and this year, Goodwood will celebrate the people and machinery that set the benchmark or raise the bar. The focus will not just be on the Land Speed Record, but on every area of record breaking in motorsport, from the most consecutive wins, to most championships, fastest laps, most poles set by a manufacturer and much more”.
“Only with the help of a precise and reliable timekeeping instrument can records of time actually be broken. Because of its illustrious past as a stopwatch of choice to time races with great accuracy, it is always very special to see the storied Minerva return to its roots at one of the world’s most exciting racing events. It is, without a doubt, the perfect backdrop to introduce the latest iteration of our TimeWalker chronograph, a tribute to the spirit of racing and the constant quest to break records,” says Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO.
As Official Timing Partner for the third year running, Montblanc will lend its timekeeping expertise to the numerous races that take place over the four-day event. As is customary each year, the festival will culminate in a 1.16-mile timed Hillclimb Shootout, which will determine the champion of the 2019 Festival of Speed and the winner of a Montblanc timepiece — the TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph. This year marks the 20th anniversary of ex-Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld setting the outright record for the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill course in 41.6 seconds.
In honour of this anniversary, Montblanc unveils for the first time a retail pop-up in the heart of the action where the latest collections will be showcased for sale. The highlight of the pieces will be the TimeWalker Collection which celebrates the spirit of racing and the rallying legacy of Minerva; Montblanc’s Swiss watch manufacture. In addition, the pop-up will house classic writing instruments, beautifully crafted leather goods as well as the most recent eyewear collection for men and women.
TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph Limited Edition 1500
The TimeWalker product line combines the legendary timing instruments of the past with the spirit of motor racing, encapsulating the Minerva heritage, technology, masculine energy, winning performance and the style of the glory days of racing.
During the Goodwood event, and in selected boutiques, Montblanc will launch the new TimeWalker Manufacture Chronograph Limited Edition 1500. The timepiece is crafted with “distressed” steel, a special finish which is achieved by treating the stainless-steel case with a black-coating and then manually washing and brushing it to give each timepiece its very own patina and unique appearance. This vintage look matches perfectly with the black and grey “reverse panda” dial, black ceramic bezel, black rhodium-coated hands and the brand-new black Nubuck calf leather strap.
This timepiece is powered by the Montblanc Manufacture chronograph calibre MB 25.10 featuring traditional finishing such as “Côtes de Genève”, circular graining, blue screws and a new Monobloc oscillating weight made of black rhodium-plated tungsten and designed in the shape of a steering wheel. The movement is equipped with a traditional column wheel, a horizontal coupling as well as a stop-second mechanism, allowing the precise setting of the time. The timepiece indicates the hours, minutes, small seconds and date, as well as the chronograph’s indications with a central hand and counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, reminiscent of traditional 3-6-9 counter chronograph positions.
