The watches of Ford v Ferrari we describe here are representative timepieces we would expect these race car drivers to wear at Le Mans 1966 if they had the choice.
In 1966, automotive visionary Carroll Shelby teamed up with British race car driver Ken Miles. Their mission was to build the Ford GT40. This was to be a race car able to defeat the Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France.
The new Hollywood film stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It is currently playing in theaters now. The story begins with famous Ford Motor Company VP Lee Iacocca who recommends the purchase of Ferrari. However Enzo Ferrari walks out of the deal with Ford and takes a deal with Fiat instead. As a result, a furious Henry Ford II hires Shelby American owner Carroll Shelby. His goal is to defeat the reigning king of Le Mans, Ferrari in a new Ford GT40.
The Watches of Ford v Ferrari
Any race car driver would love the Rolex Daytona which is a perfect timepiece for the Ford driver. We would envision that Ford’s Carroll Shelby would be wearing this timepiece. He is a visionary. He is a past champion driver himself. Undoubtedly, he would love wearing a Rolex Daytona. Pictured above is a silver Daytona with a comfortable Rubber B strap.
We believe that Shelby would appreciate the Rolex history of horological discovery. As a designer himself, he would appreciate Rolex’s quest for perfection. He, himself, sidelined by a heart condition, found his calling. He would develop the supercar that would win Ford the title in both Le Mans and Daytona.
Christian Bale plays the British driver Ken Miles. He is flashier. Unpredictable. He is a mechanic and would appreciate the utility of the Rolex Daytona. However, we believe with his European roots, he would appreciate the Gold and Black coloring of the above Rolex Daytona timepiece. This would win him his first title at Daytona, driving Shelby’s Ford GT40. He, too, overcame disaster and possible death after his breaks failed during a test drive.
The Rolex Daytona has set the high water mark for car drivers the world over with a timepiece that can accurately gauge lap times with its two pushers above and below the winding crown. Ken Miles would want the best. We believe he would prefer the gold to go with his flashier tastes and since he essentially “won the gold” at Daytona.
The Ferrari Team
The Ferrari team was the team to beat in 1966. They had won Le Mans in 1958, 1960-1964, and had 5 wins at 24 hours of Daytona as well. Winning is part of the Ferrari tradition.
Although the Roger Dubuis was not around in 1966, they have been making striking timepieces since 1995. Their timepieces utilize racing technology and coloring from the famous Pirelli tires and Lamborghini. The ties to Italian supercars would definitely be something that the proud Enzo Ferrari team would support.
The RDDBEX series of timepieces from Roger Dubuis combined with the ultimate rubber straps from Rubber B, provide the ultimate timepiece to support the ultimate racing team.
Roger Dubuis timepieces generally use the skeleton dial so that you can see the beauty and majesty of the design inside. These timepieces are unique works of art. They are only made in limited runs – meaning that typically only 88 units are ever made of one style. This makes these timepieces ultra rare and a collector’s treasured possession.
The beauty behind these timepieces is the attention to exquisite detail, the touches of coloring that matches actual race cars, and the bands themselves. Rubber B is the official bracelet designer for Roger Dubuis. They have a huge array of colors and styles to match each unique Roger Dubuis timepiece.
