Baume et Mercier have extended their Shelby Cobra line with the release of their stunning new collection of Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra watches. There were three models unveiled at the SIHH Genève show last week, each one paying tribute to the iconic American car the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and each one a limited edition. The first is the most impressive but also the most expensive retailing at £6,500 and is a flyback chronograph with a distinctive split colour dial. The other two both retail at £3,600 and boast standard chronograph movements alongside a blue or silver dial.
The brand already have a pretty impressive collection of Shelby Cobra inspired watches after not long ago releasing the Capeland Cobra Chronograph which you can see reviewed here. But rather than focusing solely on Carroll Shelby, the new Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra watches also honor the work of Peter Brock who was the designer of Shelby’s Daytona car.
Carroll Shelby asked Peter Brock to design a new and better body for the already existing Cobra and within just 90 days the sketch had been brought to life and won its first race. From then on the car continued to dominate competitions and even won the International Manufacturer’s GT Championship in 1965. This was the first time an American manufacturer had won an international race series. And so to celebrate this unmistakable legacy, Peter Brock personally got involved with the design team at Baume et Mercier to design the new Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra Limited Editions.
The centrepiece of the new collection is without a doubt the Clifton Club Shelby Cobra Flyback Chronograph which has been limited to only 196 pieces. This number is in special recognition of the speed record achieved by the Dayton Coupe at Le Mans in 1964 which was an impressive 30mph faster than the previous record.
The dial is easily the most eye catching feature on the model and was inspired by Peter Brock himself. The distinctive blue and silver finish embodies the same markings that could be find on the tail of the Daytona car. Also set on the dial as the second hand marker is the familiar Cobra logo that was created by Peter Brock which has been decorated in a beautifully contrasting red so it is almost unmissable.
Continuing with the theme of detail, Baume et Mercier have crafted the chronograph buttons into replicas of the foot pedals while the oscillating weight on the case back has been designed to look like the wheels of the Daytona as well. Many are bound to find the price of £6,500 a little steep, but when you take into account the flyback chronograph movement and the exquisite detail that has gone into the design, I think the price will appear much more reasonable.
Specifications – Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra Watch – Fly Back Chronograph (M0A10344)
- Movement: Automatic, La Joux-Perret 8147-2
- Functions: Flyback chronograph, tachymeter, date at 4 o clock
- Case size: 44mm
- Case material: Polished and satin-finished stainless steel and titanium
- Glass: Sapphire crystal
- Case back: Screw down, sapphire crystal, wheel rim shaped oscillating weight
- Water resistance: 50 metres
- Dial: Sun satin-finished, half blue and half silver, Arabic numerals, Superluminova hands
- Strap: Blue “All Road” calfskin with carbon-like pattern, black rubberised calfskin lining, triple folding clasp
The other Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra watches that were unveiled are the two standard chronographs that come at a much more accessible price point of £3,600. These are also limited edition with only 1964 pieces being made, a number that honours the year that the Daytona broke its speed record. There are two versions of the standard chronograph model available, one with a silver dial and the other with a blue.
With a very similar aesthetic, the standard chronograph models also come to a comfortable 44mm in size and are crafted from stainless steel that has been moulded to reflect the same aerodynamic lines that is seen on the Cobra Daytona car. The automatic movement used is the Valjoux 7750 which provides chronograph function, tachymeter and a day and date window at 3 o clock. Similar details in the flyback is also found in these two models including the foot pedal chronograph pushers and wheel rim oscillating weight.
Specifications – Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra Watch – Standard Chronograph (M0A10343 and M0A10342)
- Movement: Automatic, Valjoux 7750
- Functions: Chronograph, tachymeter, day and date at 3 o clock
- Case size: 44mm
- Case material: Polished and satin-finished stainless steel
- Glass: Sapphire crystal
- Case back: Screw down, sapphire crystal, wheel rim shaped oscillating weight
- Water resistance: 50 metres
- Dial: Sun satin-finished, available in blue or silver, Arabic numerals, Superluminova hands
- Strap: Black “All Road” calfskin with carbon-like pattern, red rubberised calfskin lining, triple folding clasp
It is clear that with the limited number of pieces that are being produced of each Baume et Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra watch that they are not going to last very long. All three pieces are not expected to be released from the brand until May 2017 but I highly recommend that if you are interested in these models then you place a pre-order deposit on them. You can do that here.
