Your 2018 Triple Crown Champion is Justify!
Justify, ridden by Mike Smith, wins the Triple Crown and the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes, Saturday, June 9, 2018, at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Longines, the Swiss watchmaker known for its elegant timepieces, is the Official Timekeeper and Watch of the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Longines)
Miami (FL, USA) June 11, 2018 – Longines, the internationally renowned Swiss watch brand and the Official Partner and Timekeeper of the 150th Belmont Stakes, timed Justify’s historic Triple Crown win at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 9th.
An enthusiastic crowd attended Belmont Park cheering loudly for the chance to watch history unfold. After a quick start, Justify set the pace to win the Belmont Stakes and secure the Triple Crown. His exciting run will be remembered for years to come – cementing 2018 as an important season in the history of horseracing.
Earlier on the day, A Raving Beauty and Irad Ortiz Jr. claimed the Longines Just a Game Stakes, ahead of Proctor’s Ledge and Lull. Both winning team were presented with elegant Longines timepieces from the hands of Longines US Brand President Pascal Savoy. The Official Watch of the event is a model from the Conquest V.H.P. “Very High Precision” collection, which represents a new achievement in the field of quartz, combining great precision, high technicality, and a sporty look, marked by the brand’s unique elegance.
In 1919, Sir Barton won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to achieve what’s considered the greatest accomplishment of a thoroughbred racehorse. Today, almost 100 years later, Longines had the honor of timing Justify’s win at the Belmont Stakes, marking a Triple Crown victory that has only happened 12 times before.
Juan-Carlos Capelli, left, Vice President and Head of International Marketing, Longines, presents Longines Conquest Classic timepieces to jockey Mike Smith, trainer Bob Baffert, and owner Teo Ah King, second left, after Justify wins the Triple Crown and the 150th Belmont Stakes, Saturday, June 9, 2018, at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Longines)
As the Official Timekeeper and Watch of Belmont Stakes, Longines awarded Justify’s owners, trainer and jockey with a timepiece presented by Juan-Carlos Capelli, Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing. Elegant Longines timepieces were also presented to the winning A Raving Beauty’s owner, trainer and jockey of the Longines Just a Game Stakes, the other feature race of the day.
The brand hosted the annual Longines Prize for Elegance fashion contest at Belmont Park to celebrate the elegant style associated with the racetrack. The ladies in attendance walked the runway for celebrity judges who selected the most stylish woman and awarded her a watch from The Longines Master Collection, featuring a stunning blue dial with diamond indexes.
(Left) Contestants smile during the Longines Prize for Elegance fashion contest, Saturday, June 9, 2018, at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. (Right) Pascal Savoy, Longines US Brand President, presents Narin Hussain, of Union City, NJ, with a Longines Master Collection timepiece after she wins the Longines Prize for Elegance fashion contest, Saturday, June 9, 2018, at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY.
Longines’ passion for equestrian sport dates back to 1878, when it produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount. First worn on the racetracks as early as 1881 and extremely popular among jockeys and horse-lovers, this model enabled its user to time performances to the seconds. It was already being used by most sport judges in New York in 1886. In addition to being associated with Belmont Stakes, Longines is also the Official Partner and Timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby and the Title Partner of the Longines Kentucky Oaks, taking place each year in early May. Furthermore, in flat racing in the United States, the Swiss watch brand is the Official Timekeeper of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, taking place this year at Churchill Downs.
The winning participant of the Longines Prize for Elegance fashion contest received a ladies model from The Longines Master Collection. The elegant watch made a fittingly sophisticated gift for the prize winner, with its contemporary Longines blue dial, diamond indexes, and polished stainless-steel bracelet. Its self-winding movement and power reserve also ensure this Swiss-made Longines watch’s elegance is matched only by its precision and quality.
The Official Watch of the Belmont Stakes is the Conquest V.H.P. “Very High Precision”, which represents a new achievement in the field of quartz, combining great precision, high technicality, and a sporty look, marked by the brand’s unique elegance. This timepiece houses an exclusive movement, renowned for its high degree of precision for an analog watch (± 5 seconds/year) and its ability to reset its hands after an impact or exposure to a magnetic field. These attractive features are likely responsible for its exceptional movement status, to which a very long battery life and a perpetual calendar must be added.
