With the Tour de France being one of the largest sports spectacles in the world, it is an event that is celebrated by fans and brands around the world every July. Bravur, a Swedish luxury timepiece maker, celebrates all of the Grand Tours, but with the Tour de France, it is a little different. On the eve of the 2024 edition, they are releasing a new timepiece, the La Grande Boucel IV.
Founded in 2011 in Båstad, Sweden, Bravur is the passion project of Magnus Äppelryd and Johan Sahlin. The small workshop designs, develops and hand builds its mechanical watches to order in limited quantities, using the finest materials and techniques. Each Grand Tour watch is hand-built by their skilled watchmaker, who assembles, tests, and tunes the movement’s accuracy if needed. Each watch is made to order with the entire process taking about two weeks, and ends with a final visual inspection before being meticulously packaged and shipped to the customer. The end result is a luxury piece that is made to be used day in and day out.
“We are excited to add La Grande Boucle IV to our Grand Tour Chronograph collection,” explains Magnus Äppelryd, Co-founder of Bravur. “It is a watch that embodies the spirit of the Tour de France and the meticulous craftsmanship of Bravur. This model is a testament to our commitment to creating timepieces that are both functional and stylish.”
The latest timepiece, as you can probably tell by the name, is the fourth in the line. Their La Corsa Rosa line released the fourth version this year, and the La Vuelta will see its fourth edition later this year. It uses a 38.2mm case made from premium 316L stainless steel, giving it a classic look that is just the right size. The case blends brushed and polished surfaces to highlight its design and making it at home for both casual and formal occasions. The back of the case features a classic finish line checker board patter around the cover.
The face has a subtle polka dot pattern in the frosted silver-white backdrop, a nod to the King of the Mountains jersey. Yellow highlights celebrate the leaders jersey. There is even the classic inverted 13 that riders wear to ward off the bad luck of the number. The hour indices, along with the hour and minute hands use Super-LumiNova BGW9 to easily read the time in low light.
The La Grande Boucel IV is designed with cyclists in mind, including three sub-dials with the main clock face. This includes a 12-hour counter, a 15-minute counter, and a sub-dial counting seconds, helping you track time across long rides or intervals. The second-hand on the main dial works as a 60-second chronograph for measuring time at the finish. Two buttons on either side of the crown control these functions. All of this is powered using a Swiss Sellita SW511 movement with automatic winding, which is visible through the Sapphire exhibition rear cover of the case. The 26 jewel movement is rated for 62 hours of reserve power when not wearing.
For the straps, you have four options, vegetable tanned perforated leather, black FKM rubber, yellow FKM rubber, or a stainless steel Milanese mesh. Each option give the timepiece a unique look, ranging from sporty to formal.
Pricing starts at $2,550 for the rubber and leather band options, with the stainless steel Milanese mesh band commanding an additional $50. These new timepieces are available now through Bravur’s website.
This is probably not a product we will be getting in for review (though we certainly wouldn’t mind getting one on our wrists), it is a beautifully crafted timepiece that truly measures up to the greatest races in the world.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year