Silverstone Blue 110.313B

Silverstone Blue 110.313B c1975. Cal. 12

It’s undeniable that Heuer have made some fantastic watches, and this to me is one of the best. The successor to the Monaco, the Silverstone, especially in blue, is a king of watches. Not many pieces can get away with a hint of dress watch but be a full on (motor)sports watch, and this does it for me.

The metallic deep blue dial is spellbinding, the face is actually lightly brushed, north to south, which was news to me, as in photographs it looks flat blue, and the inner bezel is brushed in a radial sunburst pattern. This gives a wide ranging array in blues in different lighting conditions. From midnight blue to a pale blue, it’s compulsive viewing sometimes. This one came from the sun-kissed shores of Honolulu, Hawaii having arrived there from Australia. I think it’s come home now, especially as I bought it on my birthday.

What makes the owning experience even more enjoyable is that I’ve just had it fitted with a new sapphire crystal. Making wearing it a more relaxed affair, knowing it won’t get scratched, unlike the original mineral glasses. Rob at Nakai Watches spent a considerable amount of time getting exact (and I mean exact) sapphire crystals manufactured. This is a God-send, as NOS mineral glasses are like hens teeth, and would probably mean a £500 overhaul at TAG Heuer, Switzerland, as they insist on a full service before any watch leaves their workshop. More details on the sapphire crystals here.

The blue is contrasted by the crisp white handset and dial script, and together with that creamy aged lume, is just incredibly cool looking. It’s fair to say this is a masterpiece from Heuer. To top it off, this blue version was immortalised by Swiss racing legend Clay Regazzoni, and worn during his time with Ferrari from ’74-’76 with his team mate Nikki Lauda, another Heuer owner, both driving the famous Flat-12 312B3 / T / T2. In fact it was Regazzoni’s recommendation that help Lauda land a drive with Ferrari.

Clay Regazzoni in his Ferrari 312 with his Silverstone

Another of motorsports colourful characters, England’s GP Motorbike Road Racer Mike Hailwood was also a Blue Silverstone fan, who on his  legendary comeback TT IOM race in ‘78 had four engraved and gifted to his team.  One popped up recently at an auction house at the Silverstone track.
http://www.silverstoneauctions.com/heur-silverstone-watch-gifted-by-mike-hailwood

“On June 3, 1978, after an 11 year hiatus from motorcycling, Hailwood performed a now legendary comeback at the Isle of Man TT.Few observers believed the 38-year-old would be competitive after such a long absence. Riding a Ducati 900SS, he was not only competitive, but managed a hugely popular win.He raced the following year at the Isle of Man TT before retiring for good at the age of 39 with 76 Grand Prix victories, 14 Isle of Man TT wins and 9 World Championships” Source: Wikipedia