The Volvo Ocean Race is back. From the start in Alicante in October 2014 to the final destination in Gothenburg in June 2015, seven teams will be battling for victory under the most extreme conditions. IWC Schaffhausen will be at the heart of the world’s toughest offshore race as Official Timekeeper for the second time, and celebrates the event with a special edition: the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph “Ocean Racer”, limited to 1,000 watches.
IWC is also consolidating its partnership with the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team, which is taking part in the race for the second time, too.
“The Volvo Ocean Race stretches the world’s best sailing crews to their limits,” says IWC CEO Georges Kern. “We are proud that for the second time we are the event’s OfficialTimekeeper, partners to the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racingteam and sponsors of the 24-hour speed record: it puts us at the very centre of international sailing.” This year’s roundthe-world race sees the first appearance of a one-design boat class: the Volvo Ocean 65, which measures over 20 metres in length. For the first time in more than 10 years, an all-female crew will be taking part, with crewmembers from all over the world. In the course of a trial of endurance lasting nine months, the teams will make nine stopovers and one pit-stop and cover a total of 38,739 nautical miles, or 71,745 kilometres. In view of the wind and weatherconditions, particularly in the Southern Ocean with waves of up to 30 metres in height and wind speeds reaching 110 kilometres per hour, the race is considered one of sailing’s toughest challenges.
Befitting the unique sporting challenge, the new PortugueseYacht Club Chronograph “Ocean Racer” (Ref. IW390216) from IWC Schaffhausen is a distinctly masculine sports watch. “We’re dedicating this watch to the teams’ sporting spirit and their commitment to extreme racing,” says GeorgesKern. After all, levels of precision which are on a par with those of nautical instruments are part of the genetic make-up of any member of the Portuguese family. This manifests itself not least in the large size of the case, which, with a diameter of 45.4 millimetres, provides ample room for the IWC-manufactured 89361-calibre movement. The eye-catching timepiece thus has one of the most modernand robust chronograph movements available, featuring a flyback function and aggregate timing of up to 12 hours, shown by an analogue display with two hands in a subdial. It is water-resistant to 6 bar and is the only Portuguese model with crown protection as well as luminescent hands and indices. Equipped with these technical features, the watch is a reliable partner in any situation.
In an allusion to extreme sailing, the 360-degree rotor is modelled on a ship’s wheel. The timepiece is supplied with a black rubber strap featuring an alligator leather inlay.
(Source: IWC Schaffhausen)
Related
Content from our partners
