ARPIEM WATCHES

Racematic TSR 2 "Bob WOLLEK"

€639,00

or 3 x €213,00 fee-free

The TSR 2 is the automatic version of the TSR chronograph, a "best seller" in the Arpiem range. The theme chosen to illustrate the endurance colors dear to Arpiem is the great Bob WOLLEK. Having dedicated almost his entire career to them, WOLLEK embodies "SPORTSCARS" better than anyone. For 20 years, he was the benchmark driver for Porsche, securing 71 of his 73 international victories behind the wheel of cars from Stuttgart (index 71 on the dial). He won everything, everywhere: the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, Monza, the Nürburgring, except... the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he stood on the podium 6 times but never on the top step (index 6 on the dial).

See description

BRACELET:KYALAMI Blue Leather Orange Lining

Variant

FREE SHIPPING to over 60 countries

30-day money-back guarantee

2-year warranty

FULL REFUND within 30 days

What driver could better embody Arpiem’s cherished theme of Endurance racing, the "Sportcars," than Bob Wollek? He dedicated almost his entire long career to them.

A competitor at heart, Bob first made a name for himself in alpine skiing, where he became a Military World Champion and University World Champion. He severely injured his ankle during the winter of 1967 and realized he would not be competing in the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, which had been his primary goal.

No matter, he turned the page and moved toward motorsport. Gifted, he caught the eye of many and quickly climbed the ranks to compete in the European Formula 2 Championship between 1971 and 1973 with the Rondel team, belonging to a certain Ron Dennis, a former mechanic for Jack Brabham who would go on to own the McLaren team.

There, too, he saw that the doors to Formula 1 would not open, and he did not insist. He would return to the forefront, for 25 years, behind the wheel of our famous "Sport cars." He became the undisputed specialist of the Porsche 935 and 956, winning 71 of his 76 international victories at their wheel. He won the Porsche Cup—which rewards the best driver representing the brand in a private team—7 times, won the 24 Hours of Daytona 4 times, the 12 Hours of Sebring, but never the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He participated 30 times, stood on the podium 6 times, but never on the top step. This would remain his great regret.

Bob had an uncompromising character and a mercurial personality. A "difficult" temperament, some would say. I believe the reality is different: first of all, he was disarmingly frank. And furthermore, he could not conceive that everything shouldn't be done to win, which was his sole objective. A famous anecdote remains on the subject: in 1984, Bob ("Brilliant Bob," as the Americans called him) arrived at Daytona to compete in the 24 hours behind the wheel of a Swap Shop Racing Porsche 935. He learned on-site that one of his teammates would be A.J. Foyt, the living legend of American motorsport. But A.J. was 49 years old at the time and was certainly not an endurance specialist. In short, Bob felt that regardless of the man's media value, he did not represent a good choice for aiming for victory. Bob was furious; he would not speak a word to A.J. all week, who did not understand the reason for this treatment. He had nothing against Foyt; it was his way of showing his disapproval to the team managers! The presence of Foyt (even if his stints were limited and he did not drive at night) did not prevent the crew from winning the 24 hours. Everything was sorted out on the podium, and A.J., not one to hold a grudge and impressed by Bob’s vision, invited him to test one of his Indy 500 single-seaters (which Bob refused, no doubt rightly feeling that single-seaters were behind him). Ironically, the two companions would be reunited at Daytona in 1985, for the best once again, as they would win there again.

Bob Wollek was not looking for fame, but he was a well-known and highly respected driver in Germany, the cradle of Porsche, and in the USA. It was there that he would meet his death, in 2001, on the sidelines of the 12 Hours of Sebring he was competing in, being fatally struck by a truck near the circuit while riding his bike. So long, Bob!

THE CASE of the ARPIEM RACEMATIC is made of 316L stainless steel. Its characteristics include a near-total absence of magnetism, which does not interfere with the movement's operation, and a very low carbon content (less than 0.35%) that makes it particularly resistant to corrosion and wear. A water resistance of 10 ATM is offered. The watch adjustment crown is screw-down.

THE WATCH is assembled in France in Bordeaux

DLC BEZEL COATING: The DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating is a material that combines the structure of graphite carbon with that of diamond and a variable amount of hydrogen, deposited in thin layers under vacuum. Its name refers to the qualities of diamond found in DLC: wear resistance, durability, and a low coefficient of friction. Thanks to these qualities, it is found in the design of drilling tools, engines, in the optical industry, and, of course, in watchmaking. The DLC treatment on the TSR 2's bezel offers it impact and wear resistance far superior to what would be obtained with a classic PVD coating.

THE DIAL: the shape of the secondary dials (the "pandas") is inspired by the gauges of 1960s cars. The main dial indices represent the graduations of a tachometer.

THE TRIPLE-LAYER DIAL DESIGN gives the ARPIEM an elegant volume, which also recalls the "sandwich" alloy construction of racing car chassis before the advent of carbon fiber.

THE MOVEMENT: automatic MIYOTA caliber 9132 with power reserve. Mounted on 26 jewels. Frequency = 28,800 Hz.

THE DOMED SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL: this is the best quality crystal available on the market. It is actually an aluminum oxide crystal and not glass. Even though it is produced synthetically on an industrial scale, it has the same chemical composition and physical properties as natural sapphire. Its main virtue is its scratch resistance. On the MOHS scale, graded from 1 to 10 to evaluate mineral hardness, it is rated at 9; only diamond is harder, rated at 10. Most minerals that make up our everyday objects are between 4 and 7 on this scale. Its domed finish gives the watch its "vintage" look.

ANTI-REFLECTIVE TREATMENT: The crystal is treated with 6 layers of anti-reflective coating, which aim to limit light refraction on the sapphire crystal for a perfect perception of colors and materials (the higher the number of layers applied, the lower the light refraction).

THE TACHYMETER: this has been revisited. Indices are usually arranged irregularly on the bezel. On the ARPIEM, they are placed like those on a diving watch, with the speed given for each 5-second marker on the dial.

CASE BACK: it is equipped with a sapphire crystal that reveals the engraved rotor of the automatic movement

Story

What driver could better embody Arpiem’s cherished theme of Endurance racing, the "Sportcars," than Bob Wollek? He dedicated almost his entire long career to them.

A competitor at heart, Bob first made a name for himself in alpine skiing, where he became a Military World Champion and University World Champion. He severely injured his ankle during the winter of 1967 and realized he would not be competing in the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, which had been his primary goal.

No matter, he turned the page and moved toward motorsport. Gifted, he caught the eye of many and quickly climbed the ranks to compete in the European Formula 2 Championship between 1971 and 1973 with the Rondel team, belonging to a certain Ron Dennis, a former mechanic for Jack Brabham who would go on to own the McLaren team.

There, too, he saw that the doors to Formula 1 would not open, and he did not insist. He would return to the forefront, for 25 years, behind the wheel of our famous "Sport cars." He became the undisputed specialist of the Porsche 935 and 956, winning 71 of his 76 international victories at their wheel. He won the Porsche Cup—which rewards the best driver representing the brand in a private team—7 times, won the 24 Hours of Daytona 4 times, the 12 Hours of Sebring, but never the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He participated 30 times, stood on the podium 6 times, but never on the top step. This would remain his great regret.

Bob had an uncompromising character and a mercurial personality. A "difficult" temperament, some would say. I believe the reality is different: first of all, he was disarmingly frank. And furthermore, he could not conceive that everything shouldn't be done to win, which was his sole objective. A famous anecdote remains on the subject: in 1984, Bob ("Brilliant Bob," as the Americans called him) arrived at Daytona to compete in the 24 hours behind the wheel of a Swap Shop Racing Porsche 935. He learned on-site that one of his teammates would be A.J. Foyt, the living legend of American motorsport. But A.J. was 49 years old at the time and was certainly not an endurance specialist. In short, Bob felt that regardless of the man's media value, he did not represent a good choice for aiming for victory. Bob was furious; he would not speak a word to A.J. all week, who did not understand the reason for this treatment. He had nothing against Foyt; it was his way of showing his disapproval to the team managers! The presence of Foyt (even if his stints were limited and he did not drive at night) did not prevent the crew from winning the 24 hours. Everything was sorted out on the podium, and A.J., not one to hold a grudge and impressed by Bob’s vision, invited him to test one of his Indy 500 single-seaters (which Bob refused, no doubt rightly feeling that single-seaters were behind him). Ironically, the two companions would be reunited at Daytona in 1985, for the best once again, as they would win there again.

Bob Wollek was not looking for fame, but he was a well-known and highly respected driver in Germany, the cradle of Porsche, and in the USA. It was there that he would meet his death, in 2001, on the sidelines of the 12 Hours of Sebring he was competing in, being fatally struck by a truck near the circuit while riding his bike. So long, Bob!

Description