Milan, Italy, November 7, 2017 – Earlier this year, Baume & Mercier announced its partnership with Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company. In this unique collaboration, the two brands captured the iconic spirit and translated it into an intricate timepiece: The Clifton Club Burt Munro Tribute Limited Edition. This 1967-piece chronograph model honors the motorcycle racing legend and kickstarts this lifestyle partnership.

From the very beginning, the two men behind Indian Motorcycle were obsessed in the pursuit of speed. Founders, George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom, initially sought their thrills in bicycle racing, but when the first gasoline engines appeared, the pair saw an opportunity to mount these to bicycle frames. As Indian rapidly grew, pioneering men took these “motorcycles” and pushed their limits on epic adventures or in motordrome racing. Indian soon became renowned as a brand that set and broke speed records. Even in those early days, motorcyclists were regarded as thrill seekers and daredevils and today, the excitement of riding or racing at high speed is still a great draw.

Spirit is something Indian has shown in all its efforts in motorcycling, just as Baume & Mercier has in its watchmaking. Out of all of Indian’s achievements, it is the spirit and legend of Burt Munro that has become a part of the fabric of not just Indian’s culture, but of motorcycling culture in general.

When Burt Munro bought the bike in 1926 it was only capable of doing 55mph, but after spending the next 40 years modifying it in his shed, the then 68-year-old grandfather took it to the Bonneville Salt flats in Utah, USA. Here he set an under 1000cc record speed of 183.59 mph (294.5 km/h). However, Munro’s son, John noticed that the average speed calculation on the original 1967 record certificate was inaccurate and that the speed reached was actually 184.087 mph (296.11 km/h). The official listing was therefore corrected 47 years later, and set the record that still stands today.

Paying tribute to this 50^th anniversary, Baume & Mercier has designed a one-of-a-kind watch. Burt was a man of modest means and built his record-breaking Scout using basic tools and even made his own engine parts from salvaged metal over the course of 40 years. This official Indian Motorcycle watch can be proudly worn to remind the wearer that anything is possible with enough grit and determination and translates the enduring passion, a value conveyed by Baume & Mercier ever since.

Burt Munro was an amazing character who dedicated his life to motorcycling. His interest in speed began at an early age. While working in construction, he became a professional speedway rider and continued to race motorcycles, rising to the top of the New Zealand racing scene. In 1926, he had the opportunity to buy a 1920 Indian Scout, but the bike’s 50mph speed was not enough for a speed fan like Burt, so he began a project to make the Scout faster. Burt would often work on the Scout overnight, going on to work the next day with very little sleep. The red aerodynamic shell that encased his Scout, called a streamliner, has the black and yellow race number 35 on it, and this is now instantly recognisable as an icon of the can-do spirit that Burt demonstrated to make his dreams come true and make legendary moments.

Burt flew out to the Bonneville Salt Flats ten times. His first visit was a sightseeing trip to see what it was all about and during the other nine visits, he set three speed records. Burt set his first record in 1962, an 883cc class record of 178.95 mph (288 km/h) with the Scout engine bored out to 850cc. Four years later in 1966, the engine capacity had been punched out to 920cc and he set a 1000cc class record of 168.07 mph (270.476 km/h). The following year, 1967, after boring the engine out a further 30cc to make it 950cc, is when he set the 1000cc class record of 184.087 mph (296.11 km/h). However, he was faster in qualifying, with one-way run of 190.07 mph (305.89 km/h). Burt once qualified at over 200 mph (320 km/h), but that was an unofficial run and was not counted.

He passed away in 1978, relatively unknown outside the world of motorcycling speed go-getters. He would never have expected the fame that has followed almost 40 years after he passed away. His story has inspired many generations of motorcyclists since. Burt simply wanted to be fast and set world records to make his mark on the world. His story was immortalised in the 2006 film called ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’, starring Anthony Hopkins. A story, which everyone can dream about, translated by Baume & Mercier in a timeless design timepiece. Honouring a history imbued of a rich human adventure and celebrating extraordinary moments has always been dear to the Maison. Through this exceptional Limited Edition watch, Baume & Mercier is not only telling a story about design, but also and foremost about a passionate man, to make it last.

Fifty years on from Burt’s record run, the Indian Motorcycle’ team returned to Bonneville in August 2017 with Burt’s first cousin’s grandson, Lee Munro. The aim was to pay tribute to Burt by having Lee Munro ride a modern-day Indian Scout that was sponsored and supported by Baume & Mercier. The Scout frame out of Indian R&D facility’s ‘boneyard’ and mated a modified Scout V-twin engine into it along with an aerodynamic fairing. After many hours of work in their spare time, the team created a new land speed racer. Lee Munro and the team took the ‘Spirit of Munro Scout’ to California’s El Mirage Dry Lake to test, and while there ended up setting a new land speed record of 186.681 mph (300 km/h) in the Southern California Timing Association MPS-G (Modified Partial Streamliner) 1350cc class.

At the 69^th Bonneville Speed week in August 2017, Lee and the Indian team achieved 191mph (307.39 km/h), going beyond the 184mph set by Burt, and almost reaching the milestone figure of 200mph, which he could not reached due to various technical problems.

Baume & Mercier was naturally proud to be part of this tribute as being the Maison celebrating vibrant witness of these unforgettable moments filled with a wealth of emotion.

With this limited edition timepiece, Baume & Mercier celebrates an icon, a hero of speed, while at the same time christening the new partnership with the Indian Motorcycle Company - a collaboration in the same vein as the very successful Shelby Cobra. This limited edition automatic chronograph features a number of special details designed to commemorate the extraordinary achievement of Burt Munro. Immediately apparent is the large, yellow number 35, Munro’s lucky number, in the chronograph seconds counter. Next, the “Indian Red” color of the calfskin strap evokes the deep vermillion color that is identified with the Indian Motorcycle Company, and the color of the Munro Special. The dial itself is silver-colored with sandblasted and snailed finishes, meant to mimic the surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats, where the record was set. The counterbalance of the chronograph seconds hand is the immediately recognizable Indian “I.” The 44mm stainless steel case has a tachymeter scale on the bezel, with the record, 184 mph, highlighted on it. On the back, the famous Indian Headdress logo of the Indian Motorcycle Company is engraved, as well as the number of the limited edition.

The Clifton Club Burt Munro Tribute is limited to 1967 pieces, recalling the year that Munro set his iconic record.

This exclusive timepiece is unveiled for the very first time at EICMA, the world’s most important motorcycle show held in Milan Italy, from 7 to 12 November, 2017.

Collection	:	Clifton Club – Burt Munro Tribute limited edition
Reference	:	M0A10404
Movement	:	Automatic (Valjoux 7750)
Jewels	:	25
Power reserve	:	48 hours
Frequency	:	4Hz (28,800 vph)
Functions	:	Hours, minutes, seconds Chronograph Tachymeter Date
Case	:	Round in polished stainless steel
Diameter	:	44 mm
Water-resistance	:	5 ATM (approx. 50m)
Crown	:	Free
Bezel	:	Fixed in polished steel-adlc with tachymeter scale engraved (184 mph highlighted to recall the land speed record achieve)
Crystal	:	Flat antiglare (1 face) scratch-resistant sapphire
Case back	:	Screw-down full case back decorated with Indian Motorcycle logo
Engraving	:	“Limited Edition, one out of 1967”
Dial	:	Sandblasted and snailed silver-colored Second’s counter in yellow color with N°35, the Burt Munro’s lucky number Black rhodium-plated riveted indexes and H/M hands with Superluminova C1, green emission “Indian Red” chronograph’s seconds hands with Indian Motorcycle logo
Fange	:	Riveted flange with “Indian Red” painted side
Bracelets	:	“Indian Red” calfskin strap with black stitching Additional black calfskin strap with cream stitching
Buckle	:	Pin buckle

New Zealander Burt Munro was a motorcycle land-speed record-holder of the 1960s. One of his dreams was to run his homebuilt 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle, called the Munro Special, on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He saved for years in spite of limited means to make the trip to America. He finally came over on a shoestring budget in 1962. Munro was 63 at the time and still managed to overcome numerous obstacles to set world records. In 1967, Munro coaxed his streamlined Indian to 184.087 mph. That set a record in the category of "streamlined motorcycles under 1,000cc" and remains unbroken to this day - 50 years later. To qualify, he made a one-way run of 190.07 mph, the fastest ever officially recorded speed on an Indian.


Munro was born in Invercargill, New Zealand in 1899. He began riding motorcycles at the age of 15. His first bike was a British-built Clyno. He sold the Clyno to a blacksmith in 1920 and bought the Indian Scout, which he would continuously modify for the rest of his life.

In his mid-20s, Munro began competing in various forms of motorcycle racing in New Zealand and Australia. He rode in hillclimbs, trials, road racing, drag racing, flat track and early scrambles events.

Munro quit working in the late 1940s so he could devote his time fully to improving his Indian and Velocette racing bikes. During this period, he honed his skills at designing his own parts for the bike. Munro found unique sources for raw materials. As an example, he once carved out rods for his Indian using a Ford truck axle. It took him five months, but the rods lasted over 20 years, through countless high-speed runs. He experimented with a variety of metals by trial and error, once melting down using old gas pipes as cylinder liners. He also cast pistons for his bike using melted down pistons from other vehicles. From wheels, to engine parts, to the streamliner’s shell, Munro custom made just about every part of his bikes.

His first record was the New Zealand open road record set in 1940 at a speed of 120.8 mph. That record held for 12 years. He earned the New Zealand beach record of 132.38 mph in 1957 at the annual Canterbury Speed Trials.

By the late 1950s, Munro’s bikes were getting so fast that he was running out of room to run them on New Zealand’s speed courses. He considered trying to run on some of Australia’s dry lakes, but in 1957 after visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, his goal became to compete on the flat and vast expanse of Bonneville’s salt bed.

Over the years, Munro and his Scout raced on the Bonneville Salt Flats nine times and set world records in three of them. In 1967. By this time, his bike was such a unique amalgam of custom-made the engine often failed and required rebuilding. His focus and innovation paid off as he set an official land speed record of 184.087 mph, and posted an unofficial top speed of 205.67 mph. He made several other trips to the Bonneville Salt Flats with his final attempt in 1971.


During his life, Munro’s accomplishments were little known outside a select group of motorcycle enthusiasts. With the release of "The World’s Fastest Indian" in 2005, Munro suddenly became a cult hero in New Zealand. There, the movie became the biggest domestically produced film ever produced.

He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Motorcycle New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2016.