Bloodhound SSC: Where the world's fastest Rolex still keeps perfect time

As Andy Green attempts to reach 1,000mph – a new World Land Speed Record – piloting the mind-boggling Bloodhound SSC in 2016, he’ll be checking his speed on trusty analogue Rolex instruments…

Two bespoke, highly accurate (and vital) Rolex instruments will be installed in the Bloodhound SSC’s cockpit, either side of the dashboard: a speedometer and a chronograph. The analogue instruments will be independent of the car’s electronic heart, and will be used as a fail-safe back-up to complement the on-screen readouts.

Critical phases

There are two critical phases of the Land Speed Record run that will see the precision and reliability of the instruments come into play: first, in precision braking from over 1,000mph and, secondly, during the time-constrained turnaround between the two mandatory record runs. Clockwatching – as if Green needs anything else on his mind!

Rolex’s involvement with the Bloodhound project is a fitting one. Its association with the world of speed stretches back to the 1930s, when Sir Malcolm Campbell was tearing up the land speed record books. Bloodhound SSC will be fully assembled by mid-2015, and will begin testing in England before its 2016 World Record attempt in South Africa. All going to plan, the next generation of speed hunters should be truly inspired. 

Photos: Rolex

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