At the outset, the Gallet Multichron 12 and Jim Clark are a phenomenal pairing. Gallet & Co. is an influential watchmaker, but generally flies under the radar of many watch enthusiasts. Likewise, Jim Clark is an actual racing legend, but relatively unknown to modern racing fans. However, the story of Clark and Gallet is a fascination to watch and racing enthusiasts alike.
The history books of car racing are full of legendary figures, unlikely victories, and unfortunately, tragedy. Jim Clark Jr.’s story encompasses all three. Clark was born in a rural Scottish farming town in 1936. He was also the youngest of five children and the only boy. In 1956, against his parents’ wishes, Clark began racing in local road rallies and hill climbs. By 1959, he finished tenth at Le Mans, though he was a natural competitor from the start.
In 1963 Clark won the Formula One World Championship. He did it again in 1965 and also took the Indianapolis 500 for good measure. Just three years later though, he died in a racing accident in West Germany. His car veered off track early on in the race and hit multiple trees. The crash broke his neck, fractured his skull, and he died en route to the hospital. Though the cause of the crash was never identified with certainty, most believed it was due to a leak in his rear tire. He was just 32 years old, arguably with many years left in his career.
At the time of Clark’s death, he won more Grand Prix races and more Grand Prix pole positions than any other driver. In 2009, he was named the greatest Formula One driver of all time by The Times. Clark always wore a watch while on the road to victory, fame, and tragedy. Though he later wore an Enicar Sherpa Graph followed by a Breitling Navitimer ref. 806, he got his start with the Gallet Multichron 12.
The Multichron 12 was first introduced in 1939 and went through several references until it ceased production in the mid-1970s. All references are manual wind three register chronographs. The specific reference worn by Jim Clark is no. 5193. This reference is essentially a racer’s dream. It features a large (for its time) 38mm steel case with highly legible, black or white luminous dials. A telemeter and tachymeter scale, two more useful racing tools, are located in the outer tracks of the dial.
Clark is known to have owned the black version. As the story goes, Clark asked a technician, John Carlini, to clock Clark’s qualifying time at the 1965 time trials at Indianapolis. Carlini didn’t own a stopwatch so Clark took the Gallet off his wrist for Carlini to use and keep. Clark drove the same car, a Ford powered Lotus, to qualify and win the Indianapolis 500 that year.
The engines running the ref. 5193 are equally as impressive as its outer appearance. Early models used had the Excelsior Park 40 under the hood while later models had the Valjoux 72. These were both highly regarded movements of their time and are still highly regarded today. Both are manual wound, column wheel chronograph movements beating at 18,000 BPH. The Excelsior is far rarer, slightly bigger, and was known for its silky smooth action. The Valjoux 72 could be found in numerous chronographs of the era, most famously in the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona, and is recognized as one of the finest manual wound chronograph movements.
Gallet & Co. actually dates all the way back to 1466, quite a long history for a watchmaker. Gallet also has a rich history, as it was a major innovator in wristwatches. Its accomplishments include: the first watch with a waterproof chronograph; the first watch to run at 28,800 BPH; the first watch with rotating bezel; and the first chronograph with a 24-hour GMT complication. The Multichron 12 is still an obvious milestone, even with such a long and rich history.
The watch is mainly remembered for its association with Jim Clark, but was originally designed as a tool watch for military, scientific, and aviation fields. To that end, the Multichron 12 came with a screw-in caseback, 30 meters water resistance, and even an optional milspec canvas strap. Regardless of the use, this is a watch that stands the test of time. It strikes the satisfying balance of straight-forward utility with refined style. For a racing legend like Jim Clark, its hard to imagine a better watch than the Gallet Multichron 12.