London, 10 September 2008 – Swiss luxury watchmaker Wyler Genève today announced that it will be official timing partner of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Its three-year agreement with the organisers of the world’s longest running motoring event continues the brand’s exploration of historic routes across the world. The new partnership will allow the company to showcase its unique shock-absorbing watch to a broad UK audience.

The London to Brighton Run was first staged in 1896 to celebrate the passing into law of the Light Locomotives Act. Paul Wyler, the founder of the Wyler Watch Company, was born in the same year. Wyler, a skilled watchmaker, was responsible for numerous inventions and patents to make watches more resistant. The most famous of these was the unbreakable Incaflex balance wheel, which became an industry standard when it was introduced in 1927. Today, this historical technology is incorporated for the last time in Wyler Genève’s limited-edition chronograph models.

All the brand’s models, from the GMT to the top-of-the-range Tourbillon, are built around the same unique watch case inspired by Paul Wyler’s philosophy. In this patented design, the watch movement is sealed inside a titanium holder in a carbon-fibre frame that is mounted on springs between two metal plates. The resulting sandwich construction leaves the movement suspended within the watch and allows it to absorb shocks, similar to a motor car’s suspension. The effectiveness of this system was recently demonstrated when Wyler Genève’s retailer in Taiwan celebrated its launch by driving a car over one of the watches.

In addition to the quirky technology, car lovers will also appreciate subtle automobile-inspired design touches, such as the rubber-coated crown that resembles a tyre, the stylized pushers that resemble a car’s foot pedals and – visible through the transparent case-back – the personalized winding rotor that resembles a modern ceramic disc brake. For the more fashion-conscious, however, a range of different metals, dial colours and straps ensures that there is a model to suit every taste.

“The London to Brighton Veteran Car run fits perfectly with Wyler Genève’s marketing activities, which focus on travel with a spirit of adventure,” said Bruno Grande, Managing Director of Wyler Genève. “Following our partnership with the 1907 Itala’s Paris-Beijing centenary last year, we commissioned renowned photographer Francesco Carrozzini to shoot his own visual appreciation of the historic El Camino Real route on west coast USA earlier this year. Now, with the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, we are proud to add a third historic route to our portfolio.”

Wyler Genève watches are available in the UK from The Watch Gallery, 129 Fulham Road, London.

Source: Wyler Genève press release