James Simon Wallis Hunt (August 29, 1947 – June 15 1993) was a British racing driver and the 1976 Formula One World Champion.
F1 Career
Hunt began his Grand Prix racing career in 1973 when he competed in several races with Hesketh Racing, with two podium finishes at the Dutch Grand Prix and United States Grand Prix. He competed with the team through the end of the 1975 season when Lord Hesketh announced the British outfit would no longer continue, with a total of nine podium finishes including one win.
Hunt was offered a seat at McLaren for the following season to replace Emerson Fittipaldi, who had signed to race for his brother’s Fittipaldi Automotive team. The British driver immediately rewarded McLaren with six wins and the World Championship title in a drama-filled season against friend and rival Niki Lauda, who managed to survive and come back from a near-fatal accident.
Hunt remained with McLaren for the 1977 and 1978 seasons, and despite taking further race wins was unable to replicate title-winning glory. He signed for Walter Wolf Racing in 1979 in what would be his final season in Formula One, cut short after an early retirement announcement after the Monaco Grand Prix after struggling with the unreliable Wolf WR7. His vacated seat was taken by Keke Rosberg, who would go on to be the 1982 World Champion and also the father of 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg. Hunt remained in Formula One alongside the legendary Murray Walker as a television commentator until his death in 1993.
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer began producing their line of F1 Cavallino helmet clocks during the 1970s, made from re-purposed Easy-Rider Jacky Ickx edition chronograph packaging from earlier that decade. A James Hunt edition (ref. 42960) was part of the lineup.
As the sponsor of the Goodwood Festval of Speed, TAG Heuer also released the Formula 1 James Hunt Limited Edition (ref. CAZ1017.FC8212) in 2016 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Hunt’s title-winning season. The quartz chronograph came with a steel bracelet or black NATO strap with red, blue, and yellow stripes, and was limited to 500 pieces.
Omologato
In 2017, British watch brand Omologato released two versions of The Official James Hunt Chronograph to celebrate 70 year anniversary of Hunt’s birth. The timepiece came in silver or black, with both versions featuring a black dial with Hunt’s distinct red, blue, and yellow stripes from his helmet and limited to 750 pieces each. Omologato had also previously released the Official Heskth Racing Chrono in 2015, which featured Hunt’s racing number 24 on a subdial.
References
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-2/miniature-f1-niki-lauda-cavallino-helmet-clock
https://smilodone.com/product/ref42960-james-hunt-1/
https://passion-horlogere.com/tag-heuer-formula-1-james-hunt-limited-edition/
https://swisswatchtrader.co.uk/products/tag-heuer-formula-1-james-hunt-caz1017
https://www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk/19808-omologato-james-hunt
https://www.bobshop.co.za/retail-r12-999-00-omologato-britain-mens-official-james-hunt-chronograph-watch-brand-new/p/467870780
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/417216352976766444/
https://web.archive.org/web/20151025174645/
http://omologato.myshopify.com/collections/the-hesketh-f1-chrono