NEWS: 1000mph. In a Car. This is Happening. Meet the Rolex Bloodhound SSC …

Felix Scholz

Rolex-Bloodhound-instruments — The two bespoke instruments Rolex has developed for the BLOODHOUND SSC, an analogue speedometer and a chronograph.

The relationship between speed and timekeeping accuracy is a symbiotic one; the one pushing the other to even greater lengths.

For Rolex it is a lengthy relationship as well. Sir Malcolm Campbell wore a Rolex Oyster as he broke the land speed record in 1922 in his ‘Blue Bird’. In fact he wore Rolex the following eight times he broke speed records as well, including several at Daytona beach in Florida.

image via Jake's Rolex World — image via Jake’s Rolex World

In 1947, when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 he did so wearing a Rolex on his wrist. Nearly 70 years later, Rolex is still at the bleeding edge of speed, providing precision panel instrumentation for the Bloodhound SSC – the supersonic car. The Bloodhound SSC will attempt to set a new land speed record of 1000 miles an hour (that’s 1609.34 km/hr for Australian readers) in 2015/16.

Rolex, with their long history of precision engineering and peerless reputation for reliability was a natural fit to design and fit analogue panel instrumentation for the Bloodhound, the speedometer and chronograph will provide driver Andy Green an immediately legible reference on the Bloodhound’s dash, as well as provide an important analogue failsafe to supplement the high tech electronics.

Explaining the role these instruments will play in the record attempt Green says they “will not only give me a visual reference of the speed, both in acceleration and most importantly on braking, but also help during the precise turnaround the car will have to go through in a limited time.” As to choosing Rolex for the instrumentation, they have the proven engineering and technical ability to produce instruments that are reliable.

And if you’re encasing your body in a machine that’s essentially a rocket on wheels, reliability is what you want.

Rolex-Bloodhound-SSC-Slider — It’s only fitting that the driver of a Supersonic Car wear a Rolex Daytona while they’re doing it. Look closely at that Speedometer by the way – MPH X 100. Wow.