Louis Moinet Pays Homage To A Car Racing Tradition With Time To Race Chronograph Collection Of Unique Pieces

Credits: Article and images by Martin Green @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2022/10/03/louis-moinet-pays-homage-to-a-car-racing-tradition-with-time-to-race-chronograph-collection-of-unique-pieces/

The Louis Moinet collection contains quite a few captivating chronographs. This is not surprising as the brand’s patron made the world’s very first chronograph in 1816

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Fast forward to today, and it is mainly the Memoris collection that sets the pace for Louis Moinet’s chronographs. I have always enjoyed this model because it puts the chronograph complication on center stage. The hours and minutes are displayed on a small subdial that is almost the same diameter as the chronograph subdials, leaving plenty of room – surely more than half the dial’s space! – to showcase the column wheel and levers that control the chronograph functions.

Louis Moinet Time to Race in racing blue

Racing colors

Time to Race, one of Louis Moinet’s latest editions of the Memoris, was introduced at Watches and Wonders 2022. While it is not that different from the other Memoris models, it made quite an impression on me.

For this Memoris, Louis Moinet drove down memory lane into car history – to a time when it was not individual brands that battled each other on racetracks but the countries they represented.

Louis Moinet Time to Race in racing green, racing red, and racing blue

To make it easier for the audience to recognize their favorites, each country was represented by a color: green (British Racing Green!) for Great Britain; red (rosso!) for Italy; and blue (allez les bleus!) for France. These colors now also play an essential role in the Time to Race collection as colorways for the dials and straps of each unique timepiece.

Louis Moinet Time to Race in racing green

Louis Moinet pays homage to the concept of this racing tradition by making the hour-and-minute dial white and allowing the watch’s owner to select up to two numerals to be printed on the dial. Each number will only be sold once in each color, so each watch is essentially unique.

Louis Moinet Time to Race dial up close with the chronograph’s column wheel on display under the red second hand

Details matter at Louis Moinet

Louis Moinet has always been a very detail-oriented company, and this is no different with the Time to Race collection. I was particularly taken with the case made of Grade 5 titanium. It is complex, beautifully finished, and sits comfortably on the wrist thanks to the thought-through interaction between the case back and the lugs. The high, domed sapphire crystal is a treat by itself and highlights the sensational sight underneath it.

Louis Moinet Time to Race crown, case band, and lugs

As a nod to modern-day race cars, Louis Moinet crafted the base plate in woven carbon fiber, on top of which are the 147 components of the chronograph complication. The very visible gearing underneath the two chronograph counters are left in a brass color, adding further depth to the overall design by differentiating these two areas among a sea of white-colored metal.

The chronograph displays glow at night: Louis Moinet Time to Race

Unique is also the inner bezel, which features both a tachymeter style and a 60-second scale, further enhancing the practical use of the chronograph. The tachymeter scale is luminous, increasing the watch’s cool factor even more.

While this Memoris is not so mind-blowingly different from its siblings, the whole concept is so well put together and executed that it almost feels like a completely different watch. It is fun and sophisticated at the same time, which is actually a Louis Moinet hallmark.

Louis Moinet Time to Race in racing red

While your color preference is probably already a given based on your passion for certain car (brands), selecting the number on the dial might still be challenging. But it provides an excellent opportunity to make your lucky number, your firstborn’s birthday, or even your anniversary eternal.

However, there is no time to spare as it is Time to Race!

For more information, please visit louismoinet.com/watches/time-to-race.

Quick Facts Louis Moinet Memoris Time To Race
Case: 40.7 x 17.92 mm, titanium
Movement: automatic Caliber LM96 with dial-side visible chronograph assembly, 48-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; chronograph
Limitation: 99 pieces per color (red, green, and blue), numeral determined by owner
Price: CHF 30,500