Dating back to a challenge from 1829 for an Easter boat race betwen the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Cancer Research UK Boat Races are amongst the oldest sporting events in the world. Today, The Cancer Research UK Boat Races are watched by thousands along the banks of the Tideway, known as “The Championship Course”, between Putney and Mortlake in London, and by millions more on TV around the world.
For today's Boat Race 2016, Parmigiani Fleurier will be acting as the official timekeeper of event, in which the cohesion of the team is vital.
Parmigiani Fleurier has chosen to associate its Tonda Métrographe with the event, since its chronograph function chimes well with the requirement of precision timekeeping for the race and its two different dials fit with the colours of the two teams.
“In watchmaking, the required precision of a hand’s movement can be as small as three hundredths of a millimeter," says brand founder Michel Parmigiani. "A watchmaker must train each gesture relentlessly; he must practice again and again until his brain and his hands achieve the perfect motion. I feel a close affinity to rowing because it involves the same self-control, focus and training that are fundamental as a watchmaker.”
