The latest from Marloe and it’s great to see a British brand celebrating UK record breakers of the past;
Honouring Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell’s dogged pursuit of speed and adventure, Marloe Watch Company will launch two new timepieces inspired by their record-breaking land speed runs. Released on Donald Campbell’s centenary day, March 23rd, the Bonneville and Eyre hand-wound mechanical watches mark an official partnership between the British watch brand and the Campbell Family Heritage Estate.
Both the Bonneville and Eyre watch models are named after and inspired by their respective land speed stories.
Bonneville | Between 1924 and 1935, Sir Malcolm broke nine land speed records. In 1935, behind the wheel of the Campbell-Railton Blue Bird, he became the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph, doing so across the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.
Inspiration for the Bonneville was taken from the speedometer on the Blue Bird that captured the land speed record in 1935. The dial featured a segment of yellow to clearly indicate the target speed – from 280mph to well past 300mph. Echoing this aesthetic, the watch’s matte black dial features a yellow section applied to either side of the 30-minute marking. The running seconds hand, again inspired by the speedometer, is bright red with a black counterweight. Celebrating Sir Malcolm’s land speed record, “301 MPH” adorns the face at the 6 o’clock in racing yellow.
Eyre | Following in the footsteps and tire treads of his father, Donald went on to break speed records in the 1950s and 60s. In 1964, he smashed the land speed record in the Bluebird CN7 – clocking a speed of 403mph on the dry bed of Lake Eyre, Australia.
The dial of the Eyre replicates the glittering surface of the wondrous Lake Eyre salt pan – bright and clear with unambiguous markings. The outer edge of the face uses subtle colouring from the Blue Bird CN7’s fuel pressure gauge – a bold mix of white, grey, red and blue. The running seconds hand matches the one used on the CN7 instrumentation and is painted Bluebird blue from tip to pinion. In a final nod to Donald’s achievements, the central plateau features a very important designation; “403 MPH” – his final world land speed record.
Each timepiece houses a Miyota 8N33 movement.
To appreciate the beauty of this intricate movement, the caseback has been designed to frame the nickel-plated 8N33. The domed sapphire crystal allows a subtle magnification of the movement and manifests the visual trick of making it look almost touchable. Both the Bonneville and Eyre will retail at £329 via the Marloe website and production volumes of each watch are tied to the speeds recorded by both Sir Malcolm (301 pcs) and Donald (403 pcs).
Speaking on Marloe Watch Company’s partnership with the Campbell Family Heritage Trust, Gina Campbell, daughter of Donald Campbell, said: “The exceptional milestones conquered by Sir Malcolm and my father, Donald, were many years in the planning and involved the very best designers, engineers and brains to create such incredibly technical machines.
“Marloe Watch Company approach creating watches in the same way, with so much time spent on the functionality of each timepiece. These two outstanding Bonneville and Eyre watches are very befitting of the Campbell legacy and it’s great to see the spirit of Malcolm and Donald’s achievements living on today.”
As part of the centenary celebrations, Marloe will also announce a limited-edition watch dedicated to Donald’s achievements. Aptly named ‘Centenary Edition’, the piece will be limited to 100 pieces and feature a timeless aesthetic, as well as the icon that has become synonymous with the Campbell family – the Bluebird.