Kong provides a comprehensive live report on Chopard's Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2014 Collection, detailing the evolution of the brand's official timekeeper role since 2002. This post offers an in-depth look at the new automatic and power-reserve versions, alongside the traditional chronographs, emphasizing design changes and technical specifications. Kong's detailed photography and analysis make this a valuable resource for understanding Chopard's automotive-inspired timepieces.
The 9th Edition of the Grand Prix de
Monaco Historique was just over the weekend. Chopard has been serving
as the sponsor and official timekeeper for this biennial 'classic
racing' since 2002 (the 3rd Edition of the GPMH) and for each edition,
Chopard has created a regular edition and a limited edition chronograph
watch.This year, a change, instead of just
the chronograph versions, a full fledge line is developed : an
additional automatic version and a power-reserve version, associating
with three main types of car engines: V6, V8 and V12.Some design details were added, subtle changes but increased the complexity in the manufacturing.For Chopard's first GPMH Edition, year 2002 to 2012, please click here.
Let's
run through the 2014 Edition of Chopard's Grand Prix de Monaco
Historique (GPMH) Collection, beginning with the first automatic version
for the GPMH ... ?
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique - Automatic Version or the V6 
Case
diameter has increased from previous edition's 42.5mm to 44.5mm. The
lugs are redesigned to enhance comfort and embrace smaller wrists too.
Titanium
caseband is used for lightness and toughness. Bezel is a two part,
steel with aluminium insert painted in black with silver numeric
transfer and yellow dots.
Racing yellow theme is selected for the 2014 Collection.
Screw-in Crown is of Titanium too, flanked by the crown-protectors.
Moving in, the dial is redesigned and more difficult to fabricate ...
Two
rehaut rings, an outer yellow ring with 0.5 second markings precisely
stacked onto the inner black minute ring with hour indexes printed and
applied with thick Super-Luminova. Both the applied oversize
hour-indexes '12' and '6' were black outline and precisely coated with
Super-Luminova too.
Centre portion is 'grooved' before sending to white galvanisation.
A close up of the dial construction ...
Both the hour and minute hands are coated with Super-Luminova for low-light reading.
The running second hand is coated yellow matching the racing colour theme.
Note the precisely cut black ring with the hour indexes, all edges were properly finished.
The sapphire crystal is both side anti-reflective coated for superb clarity and reduce glare.
The
COSC certified movement powering this automatic version is likely to be
the Valgrange A07.111 with a power reserve 46 hours beating at 4 Hz.
The next new addition - The
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Power Control or the V8 
Similar
construction as the Automatic version at 44.5mm diameter with Titanium
caseband and steel-aluminium insert bezel and solid caseback.
The
power reserve indicator is at location 6H ... showing the power in the
COSC certified Valgrange A07.161 which has a power reserve of 46
hours.
Pardon for not removing the protective sticker on the caseband ... only noticed it after the photography session.
The cyclop on the sapphire crystal which is used to magnify the date, was removed.
The glossy titanium crown is machined with a vintage steering wheel siglet flanked by the brush-finished protectors.
Finally the
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph or the V12 ...
The
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph, the case size has
increased to 44.5mm as compared to previous 42.5mm. Titanium caseband
with bezel of steel and aluminium insert, like both the Automatic and
Power Reserve version. A difference is, the bezel is with
tachymeter/tachometer scale from 60 to 300 Km/h printed.
Superior clarity with both sides of sapphire anti-reflective coated.
Sub-dial at 12H is the 30-minute-counter, small-second at 9H and the 12-hour-counter at 6H.
The pushers are redesigned too.
Caseback for all three versions are solid steel, and engraved with the logo of the Automobile Club de Monaco. Water resistance is rated to 100m.
Within is the COSC certified engine, automatic Valgrange A07.211 beating at 4Hz with a power reserve of 46 hours.
All models come with black Barenia calfskin strap with yellow stitching with steel and Titanium folding clasp.
A
surprise, a good one. Just by changing to the optional yellow NATO
strap ... the whole look and feel of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
Chronograph transformed! Better looking too ...
Just hope this Yellow Nato could be included with the leather strap instead of optional.
A wrist shot of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chronograph on my small wrist ...
Which version appeals to you? What is your thoughts of this 2014, yellow theme GPHM collection with the yellow Nato straps on?Kong
Related Reads : 1) For the press release, please
click here.
2) For the 2-day event pictures, please
click here.
This message has been edited by Kong on 2014-05-15 08:54:43 
