G&F Châtelain is a Swiss watch and jewelry manufacturer that was founded in 1947 as G&F Châtelain SA, in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Châtelain family’s initial involvement in watch production began in 1936, but was interrupted by World War II. The brand was purchased by CHANEL in 1993, and currently operates as the watchmaking branch of the French luxury fashion house. Bell & Ross watches are also made by G&F Châtelain.
Marlboro Racing F1 Pro Chronographs
A number of promotional Marlboro Racing-branded watches were produced during the 1990s, a number of which were manufactured by Châtelain. Details are not well documented, but amongst them was at least one chronograph called the Marlboro Racing F1 Pro that was announced on April 19, 1990 and available in two different dial colors. While there were likely no official ties to any specific Formula 1 team, a photo of its marketing materials appears to show images of Alain Prost‘s Ferrari 641 and Nigel Mansell sitting inside a cockpit. The inclusion of “F1” in the model name was possibly due to fewer trademark restrictions on the series name during the era.
Alain after qualifying at the 1990 United States Grand Prix. (Photo: Stuart Seeger, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
References
https://www.chatelain.ch/en/our-company
https://www.chatelain.ch/en/history
https://www.chatelain.ch/en/watchmaking-0
https://masterhorologer.com/bell-ross-watches/
https://www.passionchrono.com/en/mar00238215837-marlboro-racing-f1-pro-chronographe
https://www.europastar.com/swisstime/1004100327-marlboro-chatelain-geneve.html