Last weekend was a nice one for at least three reasons and a bad one for at least one reason: the best riders from around the world were racing at the Marco Simoncelli World Circuit in Misano, a new young Italian won his first race in the Moto 3 category proving that he has the potential to become a future world champion and, last but not least, Valentino (Rossi) increased his lead in the world championship over its closest contender, his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. The bad piece of news is, however, that The Doctor only arrived fifth under the chequered flag and this, from one of his fan’s perspective, is something that slightly ruined what I wanted to be the perfect MotoGP weekend.
From a MotoGP addict’s (as my Twitter profile clearly states) and a watch-nerd’s perspective, the last one has been a wonderful weekend, the first that I have spent, since I have started following motorcycle racing, in close contact with riders, motorbikes and watches. My dream was made possible thanks to Tissot, the official timekeeper of the MotoGP World championship that has long partnered with famous riders, such as the 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, Stefan Bradl and Thomas Luthi. This interesting partnership clearly proves that watchmaking is not only connected with car-racing (as it is widely believed) but it also has a very close connection with the world of motorcycle racing, at least when it comes to sports and outdoor watches, the exact combination that currently represents Tissot‘s spirit.
My attending such a big event, thanks to the invite that I received from the official timekeeper, does not simply mean, as most of you might think, that I spent my time attending elegant aperitif gatherings and sitting inside the MotoGP VIP village. That part of my weekend away was definitely a very cool one and I fully enjoyed it, but I also got to attend the three races and the qualifying sessions from a perfect and privileged venue and, most importantly, I came in touch with the best riders of the world, something that happened on Saturday, when I was allowed to attend the official press conference that followed the qualyfing session.
On that occasion the lovely Lucia del Pasqua (founder and owner of The Fashion-Politan) awarded the winners from the three different classes (Enea Bastianini, Johann Zarco and Jorge Lorenzo respectively) with three helmets containing three Tissot watches. At the very same press conference, Marquez and Rossi, who also started off last Sunday’s race from the first row alongside Lorenzo, were also present.
Having said that, let’s now take a look at this year’s Tissot novelties that are geared towards the MotoGP’s enthusiasts. The three Tissot T-Race watches sporting the livery of Hayden, Luthi or Bradl are extremely sporty and they all draw inspiration from the world of motorcycle racing. That is why the chrono push-buttons resemble the foot-pegs design and the silicon strap is secured to the PVD case through 4 Allen screws.
If you are either from Germany, Switzerland or the US and the three above-mentioned guys are among your racing idols, don’t miss the chance to get your hands on one of these Limited Edition watches, moreover, this collection is also enriched by a fourth timepiece crafted in 1888 pieces only and made in the same style as the other three watches, except for the fact that it sports the MotoGP badge instead.
If you’re from Spain, you might be interested in knowing that Tito Rabat, the Moto2 reigning world champion, has also jumped on the bandwagon and has become the new Tissot brand ambassador. Keep your eyes open for Tissot‘s new soon-to-be-released limited edition timepiece named after him (Tito Rabat is wearing a Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar in this picture). Do you think MotoGP’s watches are only equipped with quartz movements? If you do, think again: here is the Tissot T-Race MotoGP Automatic Limited Edition 2015, a 6-9-12 layout chronograph equipped with an automatic movement featuring a rotor that has exactly the same shape of a 5-spoke forged racing wheel. Time is over now, but I am looking forward to covering other interesting motorcycle inspired events for watch-nerds and bikers very soon. Welcome all to “A biker’s watch”.
(Photo credit: courtesy of Tissot)
Gaetano C. @Horbiter®
