Tazio Nuvolari, the legendary Italian racing car driver was born 130 years ago in Castel d’Aria Italy and has gone down in history as one of the greatest drivers of all time, racing and excelling on both motorcycles and cars. He remains an icon for the world of sport. To mark the 130th anniversary of his birth and the 90th anniversary of his golden year — 1932 —the Swiss watchmaking house of Eberhard & Co. has undertaken a stunning restyling of the chronograph dedicated to him. This new Nuvolari is nestled in an unprecedented 41 mm case and brings together the hallmarks of the collection along with myriad innovative details. Eberhard & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1887, 135 years ago, and only a few years before the birth of Nuvolari. 

The dial is highly readable with white Arabic numerals set against a black background that is further enhanced by a helical finish and the beautifully embossed, classic turtle shell motif framing the initials of the champion. The timepiece is peppered with references to the champion. The tachymeter scale features a new yellow detail with the same yellow on the tip of the chronograph seconds hand, the color of the driver’s lucky charm sweater that Nuvolari always wore while racing along with the tortoise-shaped brooch that Italian writer Gabriele D’Annunzio had given him, remarking that it was the slowest animal for the fastest man. The case back is either closed or transparent. The transparent version allows the movement to be visible and it is customized with a gold reproduction of the historic Alpha Romeo Tipo in which the great driver won so many races. The weight is engraved with the dates 1892-2022 in memory of the 130th anniversary of Nuvolari’s birth. 

The timepiece is outfitted with a grey vintage leather strap with yellow stitching, an in-house self-winding mechanical chronograph movement and a steel case. The watch is water resistance to 50 meters and its dial with helicoidal finishing enjoys luminescent hands. At 9 o’clock take notice of Tazio Nuvolari’s lucky charm in the shape of a stylized tortoise. All in all a fitting tribute to the man that Ferdinand Porsche called « the greatest driver of the past, present and future. » ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. You can visit the Tazio Nuvolari museum here:https://www.tazionuvolari.it/en/index.php. And Eberhard & Co. here: https://www.eberhard-co-watches.ch/en/