Be In The Breakaway With The New Bravur Team Heritage STR
By now, Bravur, the watch brand from Båstad, Sweden, has created enough cycling-themed watches to provide the complete pro peloton with them. This is not a complaint or a snappy remark but a neutral observation. And from that observation comes enthusiasm. As a cyclist, I applaud a nicely done cycling watch. Now you can be in the breakaway with the Bravur Heritage Team STR sporting a dial in the colors of the historic St. Raphaël cycling team kit.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the St. Raphaël cycling team, named after the sponsoring French aperitif brand, was a force to reckon with. Directeur sportif Raphaël Géminiani led a squad with legendary rider Jacques Anquetil, the first five-time Tour de France winner. Anquetil’s nickname was “Monsieur Chrono” because he was a time-trial rider without equal. Between 1953 and 1966, he won the Grand Prix des Nations, a famous and grueling 140km time-trial race, no fewer than nine times. Strapping on the Bravur Team Heritage STR could make you feel like Monsieur Chrono, who was not just an exceptional cyclist but also a stylish bon vivant. This watch looks good in the breakaway and on a sunny terrace in Provence sipping a St. Raphaël on the rocks.
In the breakaway with the Bravur Team Heritage STR
Sitting on the wheel of the Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono Pro Cycling Edition and the Breitling Top Time B01 Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali LEs is another strong watch from Bravur. The Team Heritage STR joins the existing Peugeot, Renault, and Mercier models and comes in vibrant colors reminiscent of the St. Raphaël cycling team kit. The red and blue circles on the shimmering silver-white dial, mimicking the colors of the jersey, are vibrant and a little hypnotizing. The applied indexes at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock are filled with Super-LumiNova BGW9, ensuring readability in all conditions.
Apart from the colors, the small “cycling cap” at 6 o’clock will give its wearer “morale.” I might be biased, but I think the composition works. The colors are fresh and clean, and although the design is borderline gimmicky, it would probably also appeal to non-cycling watch fans, I presume. Writing down “non-cycling fans” makes me think of Tim Krabbé’s famous novel The Rider, in which the cycling author writes, “Meyrueis, Lozère, June 26, 1977. Hot and overcast. I take my gear out of the car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafés. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.”
The Sellita “group set” matched to a steel “frame”
The Team Heritage STR’s 316L steel case has a 37mm diameter, which is not just classic but also small enough for a trouble-free and comfortable wearing experience while cycling. You can even hit the showers with it after a ride because it’s water resistant to 100 meters. The group set — sorry, movement — Bravur chose for this watch is the automatic 4Hz Sellita SW200-1 with a power reserve of 41 hours. It’s a fool-proof choice. You don’t buy this watch for the movement, but it’s good to know it’s a robust caliber that will tick steadily when your heart rate goes up as you push the gears.
When you go to the Bravur website, you’ll find that the Team Heritage STR is available in either a steel or a black PVD steel case. You’ll also have a choice of different FKM rubber and leather straps and a steel Milanese mesh bracelet. The price is US$1,195 / €1,305.95, but before you pay that and have the brand build your watch in the workshop in Båstad, Sweden, you should also have a look at Bravur Cycling Couture. You might want to complete the look with some crisp, matching kit.
