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| Danica Patrick with the Tissot PR 100 Chronometer Danica Patrick Limited Edition 2015. Photo credit: Harold Hinson Photography |
Danica Patrick, the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, celebrated her 10th anniversary as brand ambassador for Tissot on July 25 at the Reis-Nichols Indianapolis jewelry store. The watch brand and Patrick unveiled the Tissot PR 100 Chronometer Danica Patrick Limited Edition 2015.
Patrick was in Indianapolis to compete in the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race the following day. Earlier in the day she drove in qualifying time trials.
The stainless steel 29 mm quartz powered watch features a mother-of-pearl dial adorned with round-cut diamonds in the shape of a large number 10 at the 10 o’clock marker. In addition to her years with Tissot, 10 also is her longtime number as a driver. The caseback is engraved with Patrick’s signature logo. The $725 watch is limited to 100 units.
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| The Tissot PR 100 Chronometer Danica Patrick Limited Edition 2015 |
Petite and fit—in a tight-fitting knee-high skirt, colorful top, high heels and curls on her normally straight long black hair—Patrick looked more like a glamorous fitness model than a world-class race car driver. This was underscored by her sculpted forearms when she wore the watch for photos.
“It’s dressy and casual,” she said about the watch. “Having something that bridge between the two is my style anyway. I travel so much. Do you know how much it weighs to carry all that jewelry and all those watches? So I have the perfect one to go with everything.”
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| From left: Justin Thompson, Tissot US Brand Manager, Danica Patrick and BJ Nichols, president of Reis-Nichols. Photo credit: Harold Hinson Photography |
Patrick has had different levels of input over the design and functions of the 10 watches that bear her name during the decade-long period with Tissot. The timepieces over the years featured different technical functions and styles. However, she finds lots of similarities.
“They all feel like they were racy and sporty but there were some sort of elements whether simplified or glammed up just a little bit,” she said. “Even the second edition of the signature watch was similar to the first but it had diamonds on it.”
One of her favorites was the 2006 Tissot T-Touch, which had a range of functions, including an alarm that she used on the road for many years. “It’s just a cool watch with some neat features.”
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| Justin Thompson, Tissot US Brand Manager, and Danica Patrick. Photo credit: Harold Hinson Photography |
She adds, “My style (for watches) would be a little bit sporty, classic, a little bit oversized. “I like diamonds in everything. If I could buy something with diamonds around the outside or not, I’d pick with.”
At the racetrack her watch and sunglasses are the last things she removes before getting into the race car, she says. However, inside the car a watch has very limited use.
“I wish I had one on a bar in there or somewhere so I can see what time it was so I know how much practice time is left,” she says. “You’re sitting in the garage and the first thing they do is pop the hood so you can’t see the time anymore and you have no idea how much is left. I have to ask what time it is in the car.
“As far as lap times go I would have to manually hit the button and that would be a little distracting.”
Patrick began racing professionally in 1998 and moved up the ranks until reaching the prestigious IndyCar Series in 2005. It is where she has had her greatest success. In 2008 she became the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race at the Indy Japan 300. She finished third at the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the highest finish ever by a woman.
She began racing on the NASCAR circuit in 2010 where she has been struggling.
Prior to the event at Reis-Nichols, Patrick qualified at the 15th position for the Brickyard 400. The following day, she finished the race 27th.
When asked about her goals, she replied: “To win.”
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