My Watch: Jacky Ickx

Eight-time Grand Prix winner and two time world champion runner up Jacky Ickx shares with us his love of Chopard timepieces and Formula 1 by Sarah Murray

To a generation of Formula 1 drivers and aficionados who have grown up with the more commercialized view of this high-speed sport, Jacky Ickx may not immediately incite as much blood-pumping adrenaline as Jensen Button or Kimi Raikkonen today. But for those of us who were weaned on Formula 1 vehicles without roll cages, who were glued to our sofas watching Steve McQueen and Aryton Senna, Ickx is a man who is as imposing today, a wise racer who competed with the best in Formula 1 history, and who is still very much venerated today for his skill in the automobile.










While he no longer participates in Formula 1, Ickx is still very much involved in the automotive world as well as the watchmaking world, both as a friend and ambassador of Chopard and personal associate of Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard. As the watchmaker is a sponsor of the Mille Miglia race, Ickx also takes part in the Italian vintage car parade with Mr Scheufele.

The Chinese adage “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” seems to fit the description of the Mille Miglia Storica race perfectly, although in this case, it’s a step on the acceleration pedal of a vintage automobile. The road parade of vintage cars which traverse Italy’s freeways in a cross-country challenge is far less intense than its original, which ceased in 1957, later revived two decades later. These days, it’s more a road trip featuring uber-cool vintage Porsche 911s and Ferrari 315s ripping up the tarmac than an all-out 1000-mile race with serious drivers looking to break records on the endurance race. We spoke with Ickx at the recent Mille Miglia race on his relationship with Chopard and his love of timepieces.








How did you come to know Mr Scheufele and Chopard as well?

It was all a matter of coincidence. I was in Geneva many years ago, and at the time I was with a friend who wanted to take a look at some jewelry. So we stepped into the Chopard boutique in Geneva and as we were looking at some of the pieces, Mr Scheufele happened to be in the boutique at the time and so he actually personally spent some time with us telling us all about the company and that was when we began to correspond and keep in touch with each other. Later I had the honour of being invited to the Chopard manufacture and the museum to learn all about the company and its incredible story. My relationship with Chopard is very much a friendship rather than a commercial relationship. I speak with Karl-Friedrich and Caroline [Scheufele] frequently, and on occasion they will ask my opinion on certain things.

So the development of the Jacky Ickx edition timepieces are very much a natural development of the friendship you have with Chopard as well...
I suppose so, I’m really very honoured that they asked me if I would agree to have a special edition, and I was naturally very overjoyed and agreeable. Chopard has had the Mille Miglia collection since the race resumed, and I join them every year because I love vintage cars and so does Mr Scheufele. And eventually they just thought that having a special edition in the Classic Racing collection with me would be a good idea.

But what has been delightful is that I have been really involved in each and every version of the limited edition pieces that have been released so far. It’s not just some sort of endorsement on my part. I’m involved from the very start with the design of the watches to the materials that they have chosen and they explain their rationale for using these materials and if I don’t agree or they want to try something new, they ask my opinion and we look at the prototypes before we decide if it works. So I really enjoy the process.


How do you find Formula 1 racing today as compared with Formula 1 of your time?

I think that today, there’s a lot of emphasis on the technology that’s behind the driver. During my time, the risks that were involved in Formula 1 were much more real and greater than I believe they are today. At the same time, the difficulties that the drivers face today are also very much unlike what we faced. Then, injury or even death was something that we faced constantly; in my time, several great drivers lost their lives on the racetracks. Senna, Ringt... we didn’t have roll cages or protective gear as the drivers do today. What we had to rely most on were our own instincts and skill. But if I were behind a Formula 1 car today, with all the buttons to control and having to listen to the pit crew, to make adjustments and change settings here and there while still focusing on the road and the other vehicles around you, I think I’d be lost.


You were in Singapore for the Formula 1 race last year. How did you find it?

It was quite a thrill. You know a street race is very different from a track race like in Nurburgring. It’s extremely difficult to overtake a car in a street race so the qualifying race itself becomes just as important as the actual race, because you’re vying for position. The streets are narrow, and at night it’s even more spectacular. In Monaco, everyone comes out to watch the races, from their homes on the terrace, on the street, there’s so much energy and vibrancy. The drivers face the challenge of controlling their vehicles very well because a small mistake can cost them a lot. The Singapore Formula 1 is very well organized, so everyone gets a great experience out of it.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2011 02:50AM by madonna.