Graham Silverstone RS GMT Official Watch Of The Swiss Gurnigel Bergrennen
Graham served as the Official Timekeeper and Presenting Sponsor of the Swiss Gurnigel Bergrennen hill race, held September 9 – 10. The luxury watch brand also unveiled the Silverstone RS GMT as the official watch of the two-day motorsport event.
More than 200 racing cars and 50 motorbikes participated in Switzerland’s oldest motorsport race, competing on a course with 17 bends and gradients of up to 12.6%. The watch brand says the 3,743-meter race mirrors Graham’s Anglo-Swiss origins, being located close to the Bernese Alps, an area pioneered by British tourists in the early nineteenth century. In addition, Graham’s founder, Eric Loth, has a passion for cars that extends from engineering expertise to driving in races such as the Swiss Porsche Cup and the Gurnigel Bergrennen.
The official watch for the race, the Silverstone RS GMT, combines a range of functions such as a chronograph, GMT, big date, tachymeter and flyback. It’s sporty and classy and allows precise time measurement with an easy-to-read GMT function and a big date at 6 o’clock, enabling travelers to find their way and time easily. The GMT function (two time zones’ simultaneous reading) is readable at a glance and is quickly set due to the graduation on the black ceramic bezel. It can be adjusted in steps of an hour independently from the regular hour hand.
In addition to showing the hours, minutes and seconds, the chronograph is equipped with a tachymeter that gives a rapid and precise measurement by providing an instant calculation of the average speed.
The flyback function completes the watch, enabling it to reset the chronograph to zero without stopping it. After releasing the red aluminum flyback pusher, the second hand will restart immediately from zero. This function allows the user to start retiming quickly with one push of a button. For further wearer comfort, the crown allows setting of all functions. A black ceramic bezel with beige GMT graduation and red aluminum ring under the bezel finishes the design of this timepiece. It also comes with new quilted or cushioned leather straps.
It is powered by the G1721, automatic chronograph with a 48-hour power reserve.
The first Gurnigel Bergrennen hill climb took place in 1910. Since 1968 it has become an annual event. In 2012 the current course record was set at 1 minute 41.39 seconds, representing an average speed of 132 kmph. The 3,734-meter course starts in the Bernese village of Dürrbach and rises 314 meters to finish in Gurnigelbad. The average gradient is 8.4%.
