Automobile racing and watches have been synonymous for as long as most car enthusiasts can remember, so it’s not uncommon to see watch companies pair with teams, races and racing series in their marketing. For Rolex, one of the Swiss brand’s strongest alignments is with 24 hour racing, and in particular the 24 hours of Le Mans. Given that incredibly eventful race happened just last weekend, we decided to take a closer look at the tie-in and the watch you could win should you manage to get yourself on the top of that podium in the French countryside.

Rolex is a fixture at Le Mans. Literally. Walk out on the iconic front straight of the Le Mans circuit and you’ll be swimming in the strongest of motorsport history. Turn one direction and you’ll look up the hill to the fabled Dunlop Bridge. Turn the other way and you’ll see the sinewing Ford Chicane. Focus more closely, right there at the starting line, and you’ll see the official track clock, painted in a dark hunter green and affixed with the name Rolex.

The clock is part of a platform high above the pit lane. At the end of the race, the winners are ushered out on this platform above thousands of onlookers. Here, they’re presented with their trophies… and they’re also presented with a Rolex watch, this year by Rolex France CEO Philippe Shaeffer.

The watch-giving is part of the Le Mans tradition, and a highly exclusive club. Only race winners receive this Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, with its engraved 24 Hour of Le Mans winner logo on the back that also denotes the year of victory (and presentation).

Watch enthusiasts who want something close can order an Oyster Perpetual Cosomograph Daytona. Should you want the engraving that marks you as a member of the club, you’ll need to take up racing and practice up. Seats on teams likely to win are sparse, and the chances of winning the race even more unlikely.

Quite obviously, the watches are highly prized by the drivers who win them. While most teams have some sort of watch tie-in, in this case Porsche Motorsport and Chopard, it’s not surprising that winning drivers at Le Mans highly cherish the watch that represents a hard-fought and career-defining victory likely.

More information: Rolex.com

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