World Cup, Watches, Zeitgeist… and Senna
World Cup 2014 in Brazil has vaulted the country and its cultural icons into the forefront of the world’s attention. The República’s Cup-driven prominence has coincided with the twentieth anniversary of the passing of Brazilian Formula One great, Ayrton Senna, and the coincident events seem to have magnified the late Grand Prix star’s already formidable hold on the public’s imagination.
As one of the few sports icons with the power to eclipse Brazil’s fixation on futebol, Senna’s legacy as a sportsman and cultural phenomenon has never appeared stronger. With the possible exceptions of Pelé, Mohammad Ali, and Michael Jordan, no other athlete or competitor has inspired the kind of global post-career public fixation that Senna has.
The cult of Senna has spawned innumerable Senna biographies, Senna motorcycles, Senna sunglasses, and several Senna watches. For that matter, Hublot alone has released a succession of Senna-inspired timepieces. A true timepiece of our times, the Hublot Big Bang Ayrton Senna Rattrapante Chronograph embodies both the World Cup fervor of the moment and the enduring fascination with one of Brazil’s greatest champions – of any sport.
Given the Cup’s present stranglehold on global sports media, the Hublot Senna’s extrovert Brazilian themes seem to fit the zeitgeist of the early summer.
Brazilian national colors line the inside of the polymer strap, and a Brazilian flag sits blazon on the case flank outboard of the nine o’clock position. There’s a palpable exuberance to the clash of bright highlights within a mass of understated matte black. By restricting the use of color to an accenting role, Hublot’s designers magnify the visual impact of these highlights.
The Rattrapante’s light/dark aesthetic profile reads as a collection of striking contradictions – almost like the man himself. Often aloof before decisive starts, Senna also meant business when crossed. Course marshals scrambled in terror when Senna pulled into a runoff with a mechanical; opposing drivers who shunted Senna were well advised to skip town before he reached the pits.
Senna’s eponymous Big Bang seems to capture this dichotomy at a glance. Although the PVD case, matching hands, matte black dial, and black strap parallel Senna’s reserved side, the racing red replica of his signature and the matching chronograph stop/start pusher recall the fire that inspired a generation of future Brazilian F1, Indy 500, LeMans, and CART aces.
Senna wasn’t the courtliest sportsman, and he wasn’t above throwing a punch or calling names (famously, he once called-out fellow three-time F1 champion Alain Prost as coward during a podium press conference). In terms of dominance, Senna was peerless on his best days, but he never exhibited the robotic years-long dominance that has defined the careers Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
As the World Cup barrels towards its mid-July conclusion, partisans of the squads will fete imperfect heroes, cheer for national colors, and become emotionally invested in the drama. It is this feeling rather than tallies of poles, wins, and podiums that explains the enduring appeal of Ayrton Senna. Today, Senna remains revered because he exemplified a quality that any fan can embrace: passion.
