James Clark OBE (March 4, 1936 – April 7 1968) was a British racing driver and two-time Formula 1 World Champion. Clark made his F1 debut in 1960 at the Dutch Grand Prix as a substitute for John Surtees who at the time was competing in the Isle of Man TT. In addition to spending his entire F1 career with Lotus and winning world titles in 1963 and 1965, Clark has also raced in select Champ Car events including a Indianapolis 500 win in 1965. This made him the only driver to win both a F1 title and the Indy 500 in the same year, standing out in an already short list of drivers who have won both. Clark has also been credited with recommending Mario Andretti for an F1 seat.
Clark was killed in an accident at the 1968 Deutschland Trophäe European Formula Two race.
Association with Enicar, Doxa, and Breitling
Clark had been sponsored by Enicar during his racing career, and like Sir Stirling Moss was associated with the Sherpa Graph.
At some point, Clark has also appeared in at least one print ad for the Doxa Cobart F1. Whether he had a direct connection with the brand is not well documented.
In what would be his last years, the British driver would also be known for wearing a Breitling Navitimer (ref. 806) both in and out of the car. So strong was the association with the latter that it became known among collectors as the ‘Jim Clark’.
Stadlin
A Jim Clark limited edition watch was made by STADLIN, one of which was sold through Bonhams in 2012. The dial was inspired by Clark’s Team Lotus Type 25, and also features Clark’s name, his racing number “8”, and “World Champion 1963 1965”. The exclusive piece was sold with a 1:43 scale die-cast model of the car.
The Bonhams listing specifically states that the watch was created with the approval of Jim Clark’s family, with proceeds from the sale going to the Jim Clark Room in Duns, Scotland.
A total of 25 pieces were made.
Unreleased Gallet MultiChron
Clark is also associated with the Gallet MultiChron 12H. The Swiss brand announced the Jim Clark Legacy Edition Chronograph in 2018, with a planned limited run of 250 pieces. The Gallet website at the time stated that a portion of each sale would support charitable activities of the Jim Clark Trust as well as redevelopment of the Jim Clark Museum. However, no such timepiece was ever known to be produced.
Related Pages
References
https://galletwatch.com/jim_clark_legacy_edition_chronograph
https://petrolicious.com/articles/legendary-f1-driver-jim-clark-had-excellent-taste-in-watches
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1967-jim-clark-doxa-cobart-f1-watch-524033890
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-f1-watches
https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-is-the-jim-clark-gallet-multichron-12-one-big-fantasy/
https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/20143/lot/100/for-the-benefit-of-the-jim-clark-room-a-jim-clark-limited-edition-watch-by-stadlin-swiss/
https://www.watchreport.com/arpiem-debuts-tribute-collection-to-classic-motor-racing/