Mark Webber runs for Chopard
Chopard is looking forward to his arrival, thus strengthening its long established relationship with the world of classic racing, which is today accentuated through a partnership with Porsche Motorsport, the team to which Chopard is the official timing partner.
The watchmaking company welcomes an exceptional new ambassador, Mark Webber. The charismatic Australian pilot, member of the Porsche Motorsport team and former Formula 1 driver, is now flying the colours of the Geneva-based manufacture.
A champion’s life
After a number of successes in Australia on two and four wheels, Mark Webber was determined to make his Formula 1 dream come true. The transition happened naturally thanks to Formula 3000. His Formula 1 career started with Minardi in 2002. In 2009, while he was at Red Bull Racing, he had his first win at the German Grand Prix. After twelve seasons in Formula 1, thirty-six podium finishes, eleven pole positions and nine Grand Prix victories, Mark Webber joined the Porsche Motorsport team in 2014 to accompany the German car maker in its big return to competition in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Distinguished sportsman and great competitor, Mark Webber set himself even tougher objectives such as winning this year’s World Endurance Championship with Porsche Motorsport as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He shares with Chopard this perpetual drive for precision and mechanical achievement.
The quest for performance
This partnership between the driver and Chopard is entirely in tune with the agreement signed in 2014 with Porsche Motorsport. Brought together through common values including the constant quest for performance and excellence, Porsche Motorsport and Chopard have sealed a partnership based on shared passions. Highly reliable and innovative, the exceptional mechanics produced by the workshops of both Porsche Motorsport and Chopard have made their mark on their respective universes and remain benchmarks among fans of automobile sports and watchmaking alike. For Chopard, the partnership with Mark Webber is the logical continuation of its passionate commitment to motor racing and the development of its Superfast collection.
A passionate partnership
“What I appreciate most about Chopard” emphasises Mark Webber “is the true passion that this company in the forefront of watchmaking has for automobile sports as well as the family nature of the business. There are no smoke screens; with Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard, I am dealing with a true enthusiast and connoisseur of motor car racing and mechanics. I am proud to be part of the Chopard family henceforth.”
“Being associated with one of the most prestigious watchmaking manufacturers is a great honour for me” confirms Mark Webber “To my mind, this partnership has real substance. In competition, time is our best friend or our worst enemy and the precise measurement of time is one of our major concerns. Partnering with Chopard and the Superfast collection, which consists of elegant, very precise watches inspired by racing, is therefore completely natural.”
For Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard, this association is exceptional in more ways than one. “Since the very first time we met, we sensed Mark Webber’s strong interest in Chopard and the watches we produce. He clearly recognised the similarities that exist between our two professions. I know we share the same values of excellence and the same passion for automobile sports. Being able to rely on a driver as experienced as this is a veritable honour for us. We look forward to sharing this adventure.”
Superfast watches: avant-garde partners
Always on the leading edge of Chopard collections, Superfast watches are a faithful companion to Mark Webber in the achievement of his greatest automobile feats, and are precise, reliable partners for every race. Like Porsche racing cars, the models in the Superfast collection maintain the codes inherent to the world of car racing. In the same way as the Porsche 919 Hybrid, they provide a testing ground for Chopard, enabling it to push the boundaries of its watchmaking skill, to implement new processes or to incorporate the use of innovative materials.
The Superfast watches are simultaneously modern and imposing, free from any restraints, featuring clean lines resulting in a resolutely virile design. A multitude of elements – like the racing steering wheel on the rubber-clad gold crown, the grooves engraved on the sides of the lugs and the pushers reminiscent of cooling fins, or even the screws on the bezel inspired by those found on wheel rims – are all nods to the world of automobile racing. Equipped with a Manufacture movement with engine-inspired finishes, they are designed for devotees of fine watchmaking who will be capable of taming the inevitable sense of raw power that they produce.
