Columbia Historic Preservation Society

There is a deep and longstanding history between the sport of motor racing and the watch industry. Motorsports are dependent on highly accurate timekeeping to track each driver's performance behind the wheel. The relationship between them all began at a time when drivers depended on their watches, specifically chronographs, to record everything from lap times to pit stops. Before wristwatches were widely used, there were problems and discrepancies with timekeeping at the first motor racing events.
The year of the 1930s marks a pivotal moment in the history of watches and racing. The popularity of motorsports spiked after legendary motorist Sir Malcolm Campbell became the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. When he set the land speed record, he was wearing a replica Rolex Oyster. Rolex decided to capitalize on the moment, and other watch brands, like Heuer, soon followed.
The fake Heuer quickly became the top replica watch brand in the sport. Before there were Heuer racing-inspired watches, there were Heuer dashboard timers. For example, the now popular Autavia began as a dashboard timer and was reinvented as a wristwatch in 1962. The 1960s were a major moment for Heuer and motorsports. In addition to the Autavia, the brand developed its two other staple racing chronographs—the Carrera and Monaco. And in 1969, the fake Heuer created the first automatic chronograph, the Caliber 11. The fake Heuer's popularity in the racing world kept on rising into the 1970s when the famous actor and racing enthusiast Steve McQueen wore a Monaco in the film Le Mans.
Apart from the replica Heuer and Rolex, many other watch brands have joined the racing game. The iconic Omega Speedmaster was designed as a sports and racing chronograph. And both Longines and Hublot have served as official timekeepers for Formula One racing events. Although today's drivers don't rely on their own wristwatches to track time, the steadfast relationship between the sport of racing and the watch industry remains stronger than ever.
The Breitling Bentley 24H Limited Edition celebrates the historic anniversary of Bentley's second-place finish at the best-known Le Mans race. This special model was produced in a run of only 288 pieces in conjunction with the six Le Mans Limited Edition vehicles, each of which was made in a limited quantity of only 48.