ADVENT CALENDAR 2016: December 9 – The Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Chronograph Desert Type

A few weeks ago, on a wet and gloomy morning, I made my way to the 2016 Motorclassica, held at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building – jostling through the crowds of people who were out in force despite the rain to see a superb assortment of new and vintage cars and motorcycles.

Ze waren misschien opgewonden, maar ik was nog meer op de rand, want dankzij TAG Heuer was ik op het punt om de familie McQueen te ontmoeten, met name de zoon van de late Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen en zijn eigen zoon Chase. Eerst was ik niet zeker waarom ik nerveus was. Dan sloeg het me aan; Ik was op het punt om de King of Cool's zoon (de Prins van Cool) te ontmoeten die de genetica, en daarom ook wetenschappelijk, zijn ultra-coolness ook ontmoette. Ik heb Steve McQueen altijd gewaardeerd als acteur, anti-held en stijl god - het ging heel erg echt worden.

Chase en Chad McQueen, in Melbourne met TAG Heuer

As Chad approached with his entourage, he lit up the room, metaphorically as well as literally thanks to his bright Porsche racing jacket. His son, Chase, gave off more of an inconspicuous vibe – blending in with the rest of us as he sat with watchmaker Shalen Gokoolparsadh, inspecting the inner workings of the Monaco.

Chase McQueen gets a closer look at the Monaco, courtesy of a TAG Heuer watchmaker

It was an earlier version of this watch that his grandfather famously wore in the 1971 film Le Mans, which led to the watch becoming an icon of its own – and more recently to the family’s partnership with TAG Heuer – which is why we’re here today. In between all the car fun, we grabbed a few minutes to talk watches with them both.

Time+Tide: How does it feel for you, Chase, having never had the chance to meet your grandfather, to see a watch so strongly linked with Steve McQueen on someone’s wrist?

Chase: I think Australia is probably the most Monacos I’ve ever seen in one spot. Everyone’s got a Monaco, it seems like. But for me it’s cool – I don’t think many kids whose grandparents pass away at an early age get to really understand what they’re about. They don’t get to see them talk or move. It’s pretty interesting for me to see and to be able to learn about him. I mean it’s crazy, he’s from before my dad’s generation and there are kids my age who appreciate what he’s done – it’s really touching.

Bekijk meer Rolex horloges en Rolex DateJust