The Greatest Spectacle in Racing
Otherwise known as the Indianapolis 500, it’s the flagship race of America’s celebrated NTT IndyCar Series for open-wheel machines running Honda or Chevrolet engines in identical, Dallara-built chassis.
At the oval-shaped, four kilometre Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the ‘Indy 500’ is run, the cars hit speeds of up to 380 kph in front of a crowd of as many as 350,000 as they attempt to cover the 500 miles which gives the race its name.
The distance equates to 200 thrilling laps - all driven more or less flat-out in little more than 45 seconds each.
And at this year’s edition (held on May 24) the name of Swiss watch maker Cvstos made its first appearance as the new, official timekeeper of the Argentine-American Juncos Hollinger Racing Team which debuted in IndyCar back in 2017.
A Partnership Put to the Test
Before the flag dropped on the 110th Indy 500 (the first one was held in 1911), Cvstos Managing Director Stefan Kunz proudly presented the only five examples currently in existence of the special Racing Carbon watch his brand has created for the team – one for owner Ricardo Juncos, one each for team principals Dave O’Neill and Steven Sudler and, of course, one each for drivers Rinus Veekay and Sting Ray Robb.
The Indy 500 is notoriously hard on both cars and drivers, with the reliability of the former and the skill and stamina of the latter being key to going the distance.
But Dutchman Veekay certainly gave Kunz cause to believe in his decision to back Juncos Hollinger when the 25-year-old brought his number 76 car home in an impressive sixth place, little more than one minute behind overall winner Felix Rosenqvist, an IndyCar veteran.
While neither Veekay nor Robb wore their new Cvstos watches during the race (doing so is against regulations) bold images of them were seen on the cuffs of their race gloves while Cvstos branding is prominently displayed on the cars and team overalls.
A Racing Carbon Inspired by IndyCar
The actual watches feature characteristic Cvstos tonneau-shaped cases with bezels and centres made from forged carbon, while the semi-skeletonised dials are finished in black PVD .
That dark background serves as a perfect contrast to the screaming, acid green colour that makes the Ricardo Juncos cars hard to miss – and which has been used for details such as the skeletonised hands of the watch, the minute track and the triple-spoke running seconds indicator.
Flipping it over, meanwhile, reveals a titanium oscillating weight in the shape of an IndyCar wheel pattern and the words ‘Juncos Hollinger Team Limited Edition X5’, plus Veekay’s ‘76’ race number.
Although the five watches unveiled at the Indy 500 are currently the only examples to celebrate the Cvstos partnership with Juncos Hollinger, Kunz has hinted that the design is likely to form the basis of a limited edition which fans will be able to buy later in the season.
And if you’re new to IndyCar and would like to see what it’s all about, there are still ten races left in the 2026 championship. For dates and locations, see juncoshollinger.com - and keep an eye on Cvstos.com to see the partnership progress.
