Zenith revved its engines at the start of the 24th Edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2000 as the official timekeeper. This five-day racing event draws an impressive lineup of drivers navigating their historic cars through the breath-taking countryside of France and around renowned closed tracks, such as Magny-Cours, Pau-Arnos, Albi and the Charade Circuit.
The Tour Auto is the oldest motor race in the world still in operation, and it is well respected within the racing community. Over 230 cars and thousands of guest queued up inside the Grand Palais in Paris for an evening to celebrate the event and appreciate the collection of automobiles filling the opulent venue. In order to be eligible to compete in the Tour Auto Optic 2000, the participating car must have been a model represented in the Tour Auto from 1951 to 1973. These strict controls attracted a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and a 1964 Jaguar E-Type, as well as BMWs, Porsches, Shelbys and many more, to take part in the racing adventure.
Zenith heightened the competition by entering three drivers in the racing event steering some extremely noteworthy cars. Zenith ambassador Felix Baumgartner took to the road in a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL sporting #63 complete with gull wings and a slick blue and white paint job—an ideal fit for the daredevil who broke the sound barrier diving from 24 miles above the Earth. A classic Porsche 911 from 1965 had Dominique Vananty behind the wheel while Aldo Magada, President and CEO of Zenith, was the co-driver with Daniel Spadini in a 1964 Jaguar type E 3.8L.
And of course, each driver was donning the Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Tour Auto Edition watch dedicated to the racing event. The 42mm stainless steel case is outfitted with the El Primero 4061, an automatic movement powering the hours, minutes, seconds and chronograph. Staying true to classic cars and racing, the watch has a racing stripe running through the dial and along the blue calfskin strap while also showcasing the “engine” of the watch through an open aperture on the dial side. This watch fulfills the aspirations of car enthusiasts and watch aficionados.
Bright and early the next morning, the drivers put the pedal to the metal and sped out of the Grand Palais in their fine-tuned automobiles to start stage one of the Tour Auto Optic 2000. Wending through the southwest of France, the Optic Tour 2000 led the caravan of cars through wine regions and across the Pyrenees to reach the Basque coast, presenting incredible scenery, stately castles and abbeys along the way. The five legs of the race brought the parade of cars to the towns of Vichy, Clermont-Ferrance, Toulouse, Pau, and to the finish in Biarritz, France, where the cars and drivers alike were celebrated.
As the Official Timekeeper of the Tour Auto Optic 2000, Zenith was on hand timing each stage of the racing adventure, whether for the competitive class or those competing for regularity. In the end, it was Philippe Vandromme and Frédéric Vivier, the winners of Group G with their Ford GT40, who won the El Primero Chronomaster 1969 watches offered by Zenith and presented by Aldo Magada.
To view additional pictures of the Optic 2000, visit the Zenith hub.
Interested in the results, check the details recorded by Zenith here.