The Manufacture Audemars Piguet, which is regularly involved in a number of historical car rallies such as the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo in France and the National Classic Tour in Belgium, becomes title partner of the Gstaad Classic and marks the occasion by presenting a Royal Oak Offshore “Gstaad Classic 2009” limited series.

In cooperation with an experienced organising committee, DSL Organisation, Peter Auto and the Gstaad Autombile Club, Audemars Piguet is associating with the “Gstaad Classic” a race for pre-1976 collector’s cars. The cars will drive along Alpine roads amid the magnificent unspoilt scenery of the Saanenland region. After the customary technical checks on September 2nd, the race will start on September 3rd, 2009 and will last for three full days spent discovering the three routes that each begin and end in the village of Gstaad itself.
 
Aiming to cover a total of 800 kilometres, enlivened by 9 special sections on closed roads – a first in Switzerland – around one hundred teams will set out at the wheel of their classic racing car, competing either in the “regularity” or “competition” category. Around ten vehicles sporting the Audemars Piguet Racing Team livery will be taking part in the race. They will be vying with seasoned competitors to reach the higher echelons of the ranking.
 
An exhibition area at the heart of the village will host a number of prestigious cars, to the delight of classic car enthusiasts, along with various activities relating to the field of fine watchmaking.

The end of each day’s racing will see competitors return to the glamour and charm of Gstaad, where they can revel in the plush and friendly atmosphere of the grand luxury hotels, relaxing and savouring the quality of service of these prestigious establishments on which the resort has built its reputation. They will also be able to admire the title partner’s new watches in the Audemars Piguet Boutique located at the heart of the Grand Hôtel Park.

 
A Royal Oak Offshore special edition has been created to immortalise this wonderful race and will be officially presented during a gala evening to be held on September 5th in the legendary Gstaad Palace hotel. This resolutely sporting watch featuring bead-blasted  titanium is a perfect blend of lightness and sturdiness. The “well-oiled mechanism” of its self- winding movement combines accurate timekeeping with high-quality finishing. Moreover, its perforated black leather strap is a nod to that indispensable accessory of the gentleman driver, the famous 1950s style driver’s gloves. This model is also distinguished by its case- back engraved with the “Gstaad Classic 2009” logo. Once again, this new timepiece echoes the brand fundamentals as well as the values conveyed by this prestigious race: technology, as well as a quest for performance, precision and aesthetic elegance.
 
During the evening, Audemars Piguet will auction number 0 of this magnificent limited-edition timepiece. The funds raised will be donated to the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (ICM), an association supported by numerous celebrities such as Michael Schumacher (founding member), Zinédine Zidane (the iconic spokesperson of the European Leucodystrophy Association) and Jean Todt (founding member), which aims to raise public awareness of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
 
Formula 1 racing driver and brand ambassador Sébastien Buemi will be attending the event in order to support this charitable operation, along with a number of eminent personalities and of course Audemars Piguet’s CEO Philippe Merk – who will present the future owner of this Gstaad Classic 2009 will the luxurious box that will house this exclusive creation.
 
Moreover, the best-placed competitors will be duly rewarded for their sporting achievements and will doubtless make a date in their calendars for the next edition in 2011!

TECHNICAL DATA

Reference:
26296IK.GG.D003CU.01
Limited series of 50
 
Movement:
Calibre: 2326/2840, self-winding
Power reserve: up to 38 hours
Cadence of the balance: 28,800 vibrations per hour
Finishing: all parts decorated by hand; mainplate rhodium-plated, bevelled and circular-grained; bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif
 
Functions: 
Hours and minutes
Small seconds
Chronograph with central seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters
Tachometric scale on the inner bezel ring
Date
 
Case:
Sand-blasted titanium with rubber bezel
42 mm in diameter
Polished steel case assembly screws, sapphire crystal
Black rubber-moulded bezel and crown, red and black rubber-moulded pushpieces
Back engraved with the “Gstaad Classic 2009” logo and bearing the inscription “Royal Oak Offshore, Limited Edition”
Water-resistant to 100 metres

Dial:
Grey with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” pattern
Black counters, white luminescent numerals
White gold luminescent hour and minute hands
 
Strap:
Perforated black leather strap with folding clasp in sand-blasted titanium (delivered with an additional rubber strap)
 
Retail price (including tax): CHF 34,500

Source: Audemars Piguet