STORIES
March 31, 2023
Louis Moinet Time to Race
Louis-Moinet-Time-to-Race

“A collector’s item must be unique by definition. There could never be two identical TIME TO RACE timepieces.”

Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO & Creative Director

Unique personnalisation
TIME TO RACE is not a limited series, but rather a collection of unique pieces. This means that the collectors will be able to personalise their watches individually by choosing a number – that is, their lucky number made up one or two numerals. It will be displayed at the front of the watch together with a colour code. In other words, when you acquire a TIME TO RACE, you will be sure you have a watch that was made for you, exclusively.

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SILVER WINNER | A tribute to the pioneers
This year, we have added a new and unique model called Silver Winner to the three iconic colours from the world of motorsport, which are Racing Green, Rosso Corsa and Bleu de France. These colours have been specifically selected because they represent the most legendary cars. National colours were assigned from the very first car races until the end of the 1960s. This tradition endures to this day in the collective imagination. The Silver Winner creation comes with a silver tint and a red number. It evokes German racing cars.

ORANGE PAPAYA | The captivating inspiration from hypercars
The TIME TO RACE models use vibrant and eye-catching colours. The latest creation, Orange Papaya, features bright orange with a blue number that recalls speed and performance, complementing the famous Lime Green, a tangy green that exudes power and sportiness. These two new hues give each TIME TO RACE piece a distinctive, contemporary note inspired by the dynamic and edgy aesthetics of hypercars.

The true destiny of the chronograph
Of all the complications, the chronograph is the most useful one in the modern world. In sports, the chronograph is the final judge. It determines which driver has completed the lap fastest. The TIME TO RACE collection thrusts itself into this realm of gentleman drivers and also embodies the beauty of motorsport, that unique feeling of man and machine fusing.

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A powerful creation and a new spectacle
The complex chronograph mechanism is fully visible on the dial side and appears in a new light. One reason is that the domed sapphire crystal, which extends beyond the case, was purposely chosen to reveal more of the timepiece. Gazing at it in profile reveals a spectacle never seen before.

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The racing spirit
Exploring aerodynamics for the TIME TO RACE lines has produced a style that expresses the spirit of competition.

The domed sapphire crystal was developed specially to highlight the column wheel mechanism. It’s an ingenious and novel concept that resulted in a new kind of flange, one that is no longer connected with the sapphire crystal. It also allowed us to combine two different readings for the chronograph seconds hand, namely a tachymetric scale and the sixty seconds display.

The production of the bi-material flange is complex and made from a novel material. It owes its radiance to the intense colour present in its lower quarter of the flange.

In fact, it is at night that the TIME TO RACE watches reveal their ultimate secret: a luminescent display of measurement indices made possible by a unique technology. The original colours are applied using pad printing and have a flat, matt appearance. It’s a very complex, artisanal process and is used exclusively for exceptional timepieces.

Finally, the flange rests atop a woven carbon fibre plate that gives the 147 components of the chronograph mechanism their due value. It also offers the necessary contrast for reading the chronograph, which is done by the large, coloured hand and by one of the two fumé subdials.

Hours and minutes are read off a subdial set at 6 o’clock, which acts as the watch’s core conceptual element. It displays the owner’s lucky number painted on a white background with a high-polish finish and surrounded by a metal ring reminiscent of the cylinder bores common in motorsport.

The case weighs a mere eighteen grams. It is machined from Grade 5 titanium, then polished and given a satin finish. It recalls that long quest for minimising weight, because when a watch is worn on the wrist, lower weight means more fusion. And this fusion is also reinforced by a strap that was designed to be the perfect extension of the case.

The lines of the case are fluid and tightly drawn. The one flank features a new crown support. The lugs have been open worked and are subtly arched and satin-finished, highlighting the integration of the bracelet.

A powerful mechanism
The chronograph offers the greatest interaction with the wearer. The TIME TO RACE family increases the viewing pleasure tenfold, as the chronograph has been laid bare for all to see. One smooth push on the single push-button prompts a unique choreography that unfolds before your very eyes. The mechanism’s rockers, clutch, hammers, column wheel, springs, and wheels interreact with each other to ultimately set off the chronograph and measure time.

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