Giacomo Agostini (born June 16, 1942) is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle racer who competed in the 500cc class (now known as MotoGP) from 1965 to 1977. “Ago” is widely considered among the greatest Grand Prix riders of all time with 15 world titles under his belt, including eight premier class titles. He also competed in a support class (350cc) during each of his 500cc seasons and often won both titles in the same season, a feat that has since become all but impossible.
500cc Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Career
Most of Agostini’s 500cc career was spent on MV Augusta machinery, signing for the Italian manufacturer in 1965 as Mike Hailwood’s teammate and remaining with the team until a 1974 switch to Yamaha. Agostini never finished lower than third in the final standings during his first stint with MV Agusta, having won his first seven 500cc world championships during that time. His two years with Yamaha were less successful, but still yielded the 1975 500cc world title. Ago returned to MV Agusta for his last two seasons and retired from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1977, and was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2000.
Peter Ratcliff and Legends in Time
Motorsport enthusiast and PETER RATCLIFFE LEGENDS IN TIME founder Peter Ratcliffe released the Agostini 15 chronograph in 2021. The timepiece commemorates the Italian legend’s 15 world titles, and had a limited run of 150 pieces.
JeanRichard
As part of a partnership with MV Agusta, JeanRichard had released the JeanRichard Bressel 1665 Chronograph Rattrapante Foudroyante “Ago” in honor of the Italian legend. The timepiece came in a silver or black dial (ref. 53012-79-11A-AEED and 53012-79-61A-AEED, respectively), both of which featured Agostini’s famous nickname.
RO-NI
From 2022 and 2033, Agostini served as a brand ambassador for Swiss hyperwatch manufacturer RO-NI. To celebrate the partnership, two examples of the RO-NI AGO (ref. RN-RGA-RS1-R) were made. One is still with the maison, and the other is owned by Agostini.
References
https://legendsintime.co.uk/watches/legends-in-time-peter-ratcliff-watchrange.asp.htm
https://legendsintime.co.uk/watches/legends-in-time-peter-ratcliff-agostini-15.asp.htm
https://www.gphg.org/en/watches/bressel-1665-chronograph-rattrapante-foudroyante-ago
https://www.luxois.com/watches/jeanrichard/limited-editions/bressel-1665-chronograph-rattrapante-foudroyante-ago
https://roni-official.com/eng/story-partners.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyJpEPXvZ9l/?igsh=dzZ5ZXdsZTF6cXUx