Attention, Fans Of Both Cycling And Watches: Bravur Launches The Three-Watch-Strong Team Heritage Collection
The people at Swedish brand Bravur are about as crazy about watches as they are about cycling. Last year, the brand from Båstad gave us the Grand Tour Chronograph series inspired by the three grand tours — Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. This year, the inspiration comes from iconic cycling teams from the ’50s–’80s. The colors of the Peugeot, Renault, and Mercier jerseys get a place on the dial of the watches in the Team Heritage collection. As a fan of both watches and cycling, one look at the dials of this trio of three-hand models made me think of some of the greatest riders of all time, like Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Raymond Poulidor. But I also think of the more recent cycling star Mathieu van der Poel when looking at the purple and yellow MER model.
The white dial with black graphics of the Bravur PEU is an interpretation of the vintage Peugeot cycling jersey with its characteristic checkerboard design. That watch reminds me of Eddy Merckx and Tom Simpson in black and white and Bernard Thévenet and Phil Anderson in color. Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon also come to mind when looking at the black, yellow, and white REN model. Both French Tour de France winners — Hinault won the TdF five times and Fignon twice — wore the Renault jersey that was impossible to miss thanks to its geometric design and strong colors. The purple with yellow accents of the MER are forever linked to Raymond Poulidor, who rode in those striking colors for team Mercier. “Poupou” never won the Tour de France, but he was undoubtedly France’s most famous rider.
Bravur launches the three-watch-strong Team Heritage collection
It all starts with a modest and classic 37 × 11.4mm case in steel or steel with a black PVD coating in the case of the PEU and REN models. This rounded, sturdy, retro-inspired case measures 44.6mm long and 18mm between the lugs and is water resistant to 10 ATM. It houses a no-date version of the familiar automatic caliber Sellita SW200-1. The 4Hz movement inside these watches hand-assembled in Båstad, Sweden, has a power reserve of up to 41 hours.
But it’s not really about the technical details here. The Team Heritage collection is about looks and emotions — two things that watch and cycling fans have in common. Bravur took timeless patterns and unforgettable colors of some of the iconic cycling jerseys worn by the most celebrated legends of the sport to create the Team Heritage series. The three watches in the collection are a tribute to the style and character of cycling.
PEU: the checkerboard jersey of Peugeot worn by, among others, Eddy Merckx
The REN, PEU, and MER models in the Team Heritage series are named after the famous cycling teams from the 1950s to the ’80s. Furthermore, the three-letter codes are the ones that the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), the governing body of cycling, used for the teams.
First up is PEU, the monochromatic model. The watch shows a white dial with black beveled hour indices. Two distinct elements are the checkerboard index at 12 and the matching embossed white checkerboard pattern in the dial’s center. Did you also spot the cycling cap at 6?
REN: strong geometrical shapes as worn by an even stronger Bernard Hinault
This watch reminds me more of Laurent “Le Professeur” Fignon than Bernard “Le Blaireau” Hinault. I think our American readers might also think of Greg Lemond. The American rider won the 1983 World Championship while racing for Renault.
The REN has a sandwich dial that shows Renault’s team stripes revealed through openings of the center and periphery. The openings are connected by a spoke-like pattern to create the illusion of speed.
MER: the colors of “Poupou” and his grandson Mathieu van der Poel
The most outspoken watch of the Team Heritage collection is undoubtedly the purple and yellow MER. French team Mercier was founded as early as 1933. And the team holds the record for the highest number of participations in Tour de France history. The most famous team member of all time was without a doubt Raymond Poulidor. “Poupou” never won the Tour de France, but he did win the hearts of the French public. On his palmares are prestigious races like Milano – San Remo in 1961 and the Vuelta in 1964. His grandson Mathieu van der Poel, together with his teammates, honored his grandfather, who passed away in 2019, during the 2021 Tour de France. They did so by wearing purple and yellow Mercier-inspired jerseys during the team presentation.
The MER has a purple dial with a tarmac-like texture surrounded by a sunray-brushed yellow chapter ring. You will also find Super-LumiNova numerals and indexes on the dial, just like a cycling cap at 6 o’clock
Final specs, pricing, and availability
All three models are outfitted with rhodium-plated hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova. The central second hand won’t light up in the dark. When it comes to straps, there’s the choice between FKM rubber straps in different colors and a perforated leather strap. There’s also a Milanese mesh bracelet available. And there’s more. More multifunctional stuff, to be precise. All three members of the Team Heritage collection come in a hand-crafted leather case. The case has oversized loops that double as a handlebar bag. That is quite handy for putting in a spare tube or a couple of PowerBars for your century ride. Let’s see how it all works in real (cycling) life. We will ask Bravur for a test watch and take it for a (long) spin. I can’t wait to find out how it holds up on and off the bike.
Prices for the Team Heritage series start at US$1,195 (excluding tax), €1,395 (including 25% VAT) and £1,095 (including 20% VAT). The watches are only available on bravurwatches.com, and all orders made there include free shipping worldwide.
Let us know what you think of these three Team Heritage watches in the comments.
