Baume & Mercier – Capeland Shelby® Cobra Chronograph Limited Edition
“Building your own sports car is a dream for any racer, and that’s certainly what the Cobra has been for me.” — Carroll Shelby
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Birth of a Legend
In every life, there are rare moments that define who
we truly are, and what we have set out to accomplish. Marked by emotion,
passion and pride, these are far more than a time to remember. They are timeless in every regard, destined to live on forever as witness to the triumph of human will and spirit.
Celebrating such moments has been the raison d’être of
Baume & Mercier since our founding in
1830.
From our first handcrafted timepiece to our present day collection,
each reflects our unyielding belief that marking the passage of time is
about more than minutes and hours. A
Baume & Mercier watch is chosen
by its owner because it reflects a unique aspect of life’s richest
memories. A symbol worn with pride, because it communicates an
individual spirit all its own.
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Today, we are pleased to share a new celebration, and a new
partnership. 50 years ago, automotive legend
Carroll Shelby achieved a
victory that would change the course of international racing forever:
the
1965 FIA International Championship of
GT Manufacturers. In doing
so, Shelby would not only restore American racing prestige, but bring
his greatest creation to world attention: the iconic
Cobra.
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Together with the
Carroll Shelby Company,
Baume &
Mercier is
proud to honor Carroll’s legend with
limited edition Capeland
timepieces that capture his most enduring triumph. Inspired by the
vintage
1948 mono-push-piece chronograph in the
Baume & Mercier museum, our
Capeland Shelby® Cobra
is distinguished by its retro accents, classic lines, chronograph and
tachymeter functions, polished and satin finished case and specially
crafted hands featuring the
Cobra logo. It is unparalleled elegance
injected with pure snake venom.
This is where the story begins.
Driven to Succeed
Before
Carroll Hall
Shelby achieved fame as a team manager and
manufacturer, he first gained iconic status as one of the most
celebrated American race drivers of the
1950s. Sixteen
U.S. and
international speed records fell to him in
1954. Sports Illustrated
named him Driver of the Year in
1956, and again in
1957. In the
1959
season,
Shelby reached the pinnacle of motor sport, racing to victory
for
Aston Martin at the 24 Hours of
Le Mans.
What
Shelby couldn’t outrun was a health issue that followed him since childhood. A heart condition was taking its toll, and in February
1960 — at the age of 37 — he was diagnosed with angina pectoralis. After deciding to end his racing career at the end of the
1960 season,
Shelby began thinking about what his next challenge would be, outside the cockpit. He found it in a quest to change the definition of the American sports car.
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For years,
Shelby quietly nurtured the idea that a faster, lighter and
more nimble car would not only outperform European competitors, but
offer build costs low enough to make it affordable to a wider audience.
With funds from a new driving school in the California desert,
Shelby
first imported the British AC, eventually fitting a 289
cubic inch
Ford V8 together with handling improvements. Yet this was
only the foundation for his ultimate aim: an all-American street and
track car. Its name appeared to
Shelby one night in a dream, and he
roused long enough to scribble it on a bedside notepad.
When he awoke the next morning, he saw the name and knew it was right.
Cobra.
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Shelby American manufacture
As the driving force behind our collection,
Baume & Mercier is proud to celebrate all facets of
Carroll Shelby’s
achievements, including his vision and entrepreneurship.
Founded as a
family business in
1830,
Baume & Mercier’s
reputation for exceptional design, lasting performance and cutting-edge
innovation is a mirror to
Shelby’s own ethos. The brand has also been
recognized with ten
Grand Prix watchmaking awards, and seven gold medals
at international exhibitions. This includes the famous Kew Observatory
precision record of
1892, awarded to a
Baume & Mercier watch so
accurate that it was unmatched for a decade.
The Cobra Strikes
By the
1963 season, the
Cobra and its 289 engine were dominating the US
domestic race series, going on to only lose one race in its first three
years of competition. Each proved to be a testing ground for
Shelby and
his team as they sought to extract maximum power and performance from
their machine. Momentum was building for a run at the ultimate prize:
the FIA International
GT Championship. Among the keys to success would
be a larger engine, capable of out running Europe’s best.
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FIA rules ordered manufacturers to create at least
100
production models of each car entered. With that in mind, Shelby set to
work testing a
390 cubic inch engine, but it wasn’t enough. With little
time before the
1965 FIA season, a decision was reached to create an
entirely new
Cobra.
To make it happen,
Shelby recruited
Ford to the
effort, cementing a partnership that would result in Shelby taking over
Ford’s entire GT racing program — and an invitation to convert the
Mustang to a
Shelby GT350 B-production road racer.
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With a massive
427 cubic inch
Ford V8 at its heart, the new
Shelby Cobra would be the most feared muscle car ever built.
Capable of
500 hp, the engine was so heavy that a full chassis redesign was needed,
featuring a tubular coil spring design five inches wider for improved
handling.
Coil springs were installed all around, and the body was
streamlined with flared arches that allowed for larger tires and a wider
track. In every aspect, the
427 wasn’t just a leap forward for
Cobra.
It marked a new chapter for the American sports car, with handling,
braking and raw power beyond compare.
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Baume & Mercier is proud to pay tribute to the
427 Cobra in every
detail of our
Capeland Shelby® Cobra chronographs. Their generous case
is designed to mirror the flared style of the
Cobra’s own aerodynamic
body lines, while blue dials and transparent white stripes take their
cue from the
Cobra’s famous racing livery, every accent chosen to
express an elegant power. It is the ultimate expression of performance,
born from the DNA of
Shelby’s most revered creation.
Destined for Victory
Throughout racing history, there are wins that have changed a country, manufacturer or team. A precious few also change the entire sport. One such event is the triumph of
Carroll Shelby in the
1965 FIA season. Together with a hand-chosen team of drivers and crew,
Shelby entered
GT competition
with one goal: fulfill his dream of conquering Europe’s best with
lighter, faster cars, and bring home
America’s first international
trophy in nearly 40 years.
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The road to glory required
Shelby to earn the best seven performances in 13 out of 20 races, with points only awarded for first through sixth places. In the opening race at Daytona,
Shelby stormed to 1st
place, and followed it with a 1st place finish at the next race, held
at Sebring. From there, the battle was ferociously joined by
Ferrari,
who had won the
GT championship every year since its founding, and held
the FIA Manufacturers championship for ten of the past 12 years.
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Now the world watched with awe as the
Shelby team
fought to stay ahead, with 1st place finishes at tracks such as Monza,
Le Mans, Nurburgring and Reims. Each race saw man and machine pushed to
the limit, in a battle for supremacy more extreme that anyone imagined.
In total,
Shelby finished first in 11 out of 20 races, including at the
final race at Bridgehampton. By that point, history had already been
made.
Shelby American was crowned FIA
GT champion.
Carroll Shelby became
the first individual to win as a driver, team manager and manufacturer.
A feat never repeated in the annals of motorsport.
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To honor this unprecedented milestone,
Baume & Mercier
has created extraordinary timepieces for the
Capeland Shelby® Cobra
collection, each produced as a true
limited edition. In recognition of Shelby’s FIA World Championship 50th anniversary, the steel chronograph is limited to a quantity of
1,965 pieces, while the 18K red gold model is
limited to just 98 pieces, in tribute to
Carroll Shelby’s own
Cobra racing number.
Passion to Perform
Each timepiece in the
Capeland Shelby® Cobra collection is designed to capture the spirit and power of
Cobra with true grace.
A generous case, available in polished and satin-finished
stainless steel or 18K red gold, creates a signature frame for a face
rich with detail and personality. This begins with a homage to
Cobra’s
famous livery, combining its classic Guardsman Blue racing color with
transparent dual racing stripes as elegant as they are historic.
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Alain Zimmermann and Neil Cumming - Shelby Cobra Event
At the center of the design is the iconic Cobra logo, which
is forged into the seconds hand to communicate a sense of constant
motion, while both hours and minutes hands are created in the shape of
the Cobra’s graceful steering wheel. Completing the presentation is a
sapphire crystal case back, engraved with the collection title and
Carroll Shelby’s own signature.
Marrying Shelby’s reputation for exceptional performance to
that of
Baume & Mercier, each chronograph is assembled to our most
exacting requirements. Quality and precision are of the highest
standard, with automatic movement to provide effortless accuracy. It is a
limited edition collection far above the expected: destined to be
cherished and displayed with pride for generations. Exclusively created
for those with a passion for performance and detail as uncompromising as
that of
Carroll Shelby himself.
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A Moment to Savor
Capeland Shelby® Cobra Steel Chronograph 1,965-Piece Limited Edition
The heart of the
Capeland Shelby® Cobra collection is a
chronograph powered by a Swiss-made self-winding movement. A 44mm
diameter case forged from polished and satin-finished stainless steel
frames a dial with chronograph counters inspired by the
Cobra’s iconic
dashboard, and is finished in
Shelby’s Guardsman Blue racing color with
Superluminova blue emission to provide a soft evening glow.
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Completing
the face are
Shelby double racing stripes as a subtle accent, and
special hours and minutes hands designed in the shape the
Cobra steering
wheel, with the infamous
Cobra logo placed atop the second hand. The
strap is just as elegant, created in premium black alligator with red
calfskin rubber-like lining, grey stitching and triple-folding clasp
with security push-pieces.
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To mark this
Capeland timepiece as a true original, the sapphire
crystal back is engraved with the collection title, and
Carroll Shelby’s
personal signature.
Capeland Shelby® Cobra 18k Red Gold Flyback Chronograph 98-Piece Numbered Limited Edition
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As an exclusive tribute to
Carroll Shelby legend,
Baume
& Mercier has created a flyback chronograph fitted with Manufacture
Swiss-made self-winding movement. Created in polished and satin-finished
18K red gold, this emblematic timepiece of 44mm diameter features a
Guardsman Blue dial. This is offset by special gold hands in the shape
of the iconic Cobra steering wheel, Superluminova blue emission for a
rich evening appearance and the renowned
Cobra logo forged onto the
seconds hand.
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The strap also pays a quiet homage, with genuine black
alligator offset by a 18K red gold buckle, Cobra blue round-scale
alligator lining and red stitching. On the reverse side, a sapphire
crystal is framed by an 18K gold case back, with an engraving of the
collection title and personal signature of Carroll Shelby.
All watches in the Capeland Shelby® Cobra collection arrive in special packaging with an exclusive miniature of the 427 Cobra,
in addition to a custom brochure and card. Owners of the 18K red gold
flyback chronograph will also receive a book detailing the full history
of the Cobra.
Once in a Lifetime
During a hospital stay for his heart condition,
Carroll Shelby visited with children suffering from a range of similar
ailments, including those waiting for heart transplants. The experience
was so moving that
Carroll became passionate about using his fame and
goodwill to support them. The result was the
Carroll Shelby Foundation,
which raises funds to assist the families of children with major heart
ailments. It has since grown to also provide scholarships and
educational opportunities to disadvantaged youth across the United
States.
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Baume & Mercier is honored to support the work of the
Carroll Shelby Foundation via a corporate donation, and by creating a
truly unique timepiece for auction. This emblematic
Capeland Shelby®
Cobra chronograph features an ashen dial with blue
Cobra stripes,
polished and satin-finished 18k red gold case, black alligator strap
with prestigious blue round-scale alligator lining, and
Carroll Shelby’s
own signature on the back. In keeping with the
Baume & Mercier
reputation for exceptional accuracy, this automatic flyback chronograph
is fitted with Manufacture Swiss-made self-winding movement.
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Only one watch of this type will ever be produced by
Baume &
Mercier, making it a collector’s item beyond compare. The winning bidder
will also receive an original
Cobra painting signed by surviving
members of the
1965 Cobra team, and a personal item once owned by
Carroll Shelby. We wish those generous enough to bid every success, and
look forward to their outstanding contribution to the
Carroll Shelby
Foundation.
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. So live for today.” - Carroll Shelby
