ON ITS 180TH ANNIVERSARY, LONGINES INVITED DEEPSHIKHA PUNJ TO DUBAI TO SAMPLE THE LUXURY AND EXTRAVAGANCE OF THE WORLD’S RICHEST RACE
Machismo and majesty are the glory ideals of almost every sport, but when it comes to horse racing it’s literally par for the course. It was to appreciate the art in the movement of the beast and beauty in the precision of the chase that a crowd of 90,000 braved the desert sun to witness magic unfurl on grass at the Dubai World Cup. With adversaries strapped and ready to be ridden off to victory or loss, the face-off between the fastest—in the world’s richest and most widely anticipated race—began with a green signal. Almost on cue, the underdog eliminated the champion, winning not just the award but the hearts of all the spectators regardless of betting odds.
It’s probably the timeless elegance of this regal sport that accounts for the continued association between the king of all derbies and luxury watchmaker Longines since 1926, when the brand was named official timekeeper of the Concours Hippique International Officiel de Genève. Today, Longines’ association with equestrian sports has expanded to include flat
racing, show-jumping and even endurance competitions including the Dubai World Cup, the Prix de Diane Longines, the Qatar Prix de l’arc de Triomphe, the H.H. The Emir’s Trophy presented by Longines, the Longines Singapore Gold Cup, and the famous Kentucky Derby among others.
In fact, since 2007, the watchmaker has also become the official timekeeper of Royal Ascot—a favourite with British royalty. Fittingly, even the brand ambassadors or ambassadors of elegance, as the company insists on calling them, mirror this love for grace and style. Notable among the list are Indian actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, tennis ace Stefanie Graf, Andre Agassi and even actor Kate Winslet.
Of course, the spectator stands on the concourse do not disappoint on the elegance quotient either with a happy parade of the finest luxury brands on unabashed display. Fashionistas boasting choreographed couture fuss over veils and veal as they balance Bollinger and bijoux at the tiered restaurant on the Parade Ring Lawns. Fortunately, the balcony
accesses a fabulous view of the racecourse as well as the scoreboard, allowing visitors to keep an eye on the races while sizing up their neighbour’s vintage dress.
Third race over, Chardonnay settled in, it was time to please the palate with a seven-course meal: foie gras slow poached torchon, parsnip vanilla mousseline and toasted brioche, leading up to the risotto mantecato al rosmarino t baby chicken, finished up with the passion fruit and mint sorbet. Of course, the icing on the cake was the warm chocolate fondant with honey comb ice cream, if you don’t count the winners. With the conclusion of the nine races, Cirrus des Aigles owned by Jean Claude Alain Dupouy and Xavier Niel was declared the winner of the Longines Sheema Classic.
Close to the witching hour, when the final race signaled the denouement of the legendary calendar date, the biggest party of the season kicked off. The magnificent display of fireworks only embodied Longines’ “elegance is attitude” approach. And the result was every bit as staggering as the watches that the marque proudly brandishes. On a whirlwind tour of ostentation and obsession, horology hedonists would be proud to share the stage with pace fans who view the anticipation of a challenge and the crowning of a new victor as the currency of choice.