Photo Report: The Start Of Tour Auto 2016 (Cars, More Cars, And The Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Tour Auto Edition)

April 21, 2016

Just a few days after Bens drive across the great state of Arizona behind the wheel of a 1962 Porsche 356, we once again find ourselves at the start of a classic car race. This time, were in France, with Zenith, for the opening leg of 25th edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2000, a competition that the Swiss manufacture has sponsored since 2015. Drivers from all over the world C but mostly Europe C have come together in the French capital to race each other. More than 2,000 kilometers on the roads and circuits stand between them and Cannes. Day 1: Public Day, Paris (Grand Palais) The cars are parked inside the Grand Palais, on the Champs-lyses, for a rare moment of luxury. Together for the first and probably the last time before they take the open road, Ferrari 275 GTBs mingle with Aston Martin DB4 GTs and Porsche 911 STs. Their drivers, meanwhile, navigate through the maze theyve created, champagne glasses in hand, sizing up the competition. Many have taken part in previous editions, and are back for the fun the unpredictable drive provides. During the evening, we spot Richard Mille C a regular on the Tour C and his American ride, a 1963 Ford Galaxie. Zenith's CEO, Aldo Magada, also appeared in good spirits, posing near a red Jaguar E-Type from 1964. Ferrari 275 GTB - 1965: Diego J. Ribadeneira et Helena Ribadeneira Ford Galaxie - 1963: Richard Mille et Yvan Mahe Ferrari 275 GTB -1965: Ste?phane Bonoron et Jean-Christophe Bonoron Aston Martin DB 2 -1950: Laurent Desplaces et Marion Desplaces Porsche 911 RS 2.7L - 1973: Daniel Ascencion et Marie Jeanne Ascencion Porsche 55RS Spyder - 1958: Jean-Philippe Grand et Franc?ois Fayman Porsche 911 2.5L ST - 1972: John Logan et Fred Hampton A row of 911s Ferrari 308 GR IV - 1980: Ge?rard LOPEZ et Cyril Abiteboul Triumph TR3 - 1959: Ste?phane Guyot-Sionnest et Marie Guyot-Sionnest Day 2: Chateau de Courances C Beaune It's a 4:00 a.m. start for most of the crews this morning, as they have to drive their cars to the Chateau de Courances, some 50 kilometers outside of Paris, for the opening of the race. But after a quick espresso, the sudden roar of the engines wakes up the rest of the French capital. The pilots and their cars face their first big test of the race, even before they reach the Chateau for the start of the inaugural leg. Will their engines run? Already, the crisp temperatures are claiming a couple of victims on Day One. But the majority are well on their way to Beaune. Unfortunately, our trip ends here this year. Here's a look at just a few cars we saw during our short stay in Paris. The Watch: Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Tour Auto Edition (2016) The Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Tour Auto Edition (2016). For its second consecutive participation with the Tour, Zenith produced a new limited edition El Primero. Presented in a 42 mm stainless-steel case, the watch adopts the competitions blue, white, and red livery, which runs through a textile strap (last years was leather) and onto a rhodiumed dial. Very little has been changed in terms of the watch's aesthetics. Only the minute chapter ring has been revised, this time appearing in white to lighten up the dial. The watch is powered by the high-frequency El Primero 406, which beats at 36,000 vph (5Hz) and offers approximately 50 hours of power reserve. The new El Primero Tour Auto Edition is issued in a 500-piece special limited edition. While it isn't reserved for Tour Auto drivers, we saw many express real interest in the watch, which represents a very cool souvenir of their epic 2,000 kilometer journey. For more info from Zenith, go here.Don't have the HODINKEE App yet? Get years of amazing watch content plus new stories, breaking news, and access to great new features like HODINKEE Live, free on iOS.