Baltic will be the official timekeeper of the Tour Auto 2024 event running through France later this month, and they’re releasing a new Tricompax chronograph in celebration. This release involves more than just a watch, as the entire kit will be outfitted with a dash-mountable stopwatch and clock for good measure. The release comes just days before 250 crews will set forth from Paris to Biarritz with 5 stops planned between to experience some of the famous and historic race tracks across the landscape of France. The participating crews will all get access to the new watch for the event, which will include a team from Baltic taking part in the drive.
The new watch is called the Tricompax, not for the number of complications as you might expect, but for the trio of registers on the dial. The is building on an existing collection first released in 2022 in collaboration with Peter Auto. The concept works just as well here, with a creamy off-white base dial and white registers that are accented with the three colors of the event; navy, light blue, and red. This dial also gets Arabic numeral hour markers pushed to the very perimeter of the dial.
In total, the design works beautifully with enough restraint practiced to allow the colors their own impact on the look without overpowering the situation. A deep blue aluminum bezel insert frames the dial, with the same color being picked up in the timing hands. The colors are closely associated with the event, which was first held in 1899 by the Automobile Club de France. It has since been picked up by modern enthusiasts, and the same could be said of the design language of this chronograph. It’s based on something comfortable and confident, but doesn’t look old or outdated.
The steel case measures 39.5mm in diameter and 13.5mm in thickness with a domed sapphire crystal. Baltic is still using the Sellita SW510-M, a hand wound chronograph caliber to handle timing duties. This also keeps the price relatively reasonable at €2,100. That price does include the full kit, however, which means you’re also getting the hand held stopwatch and dash clock, mounted in a frame that can be attached to the dashboard of a car. Each of these are quite beautiful in their own right, with the stopwatch using a Hanhart hand-wound movement with flyback function. The pair would make a nice desk ornament if you’re not planning on participating in Tour Auto this year.
Baltic will be producing 500 units of the new Tricompax in partnership with Tour Auto, and they will be available to purchase from April 22nd, 2024 at 4pm central European summer time. Baltic
