Summer Repeat - What Watch Did The Cannibal Wear?

This year marks two unique bits of Tour de France history:

1.  It is the 100th "birthday" of the Yellow Jersey.
2.  It marks the 50th anniversary of Eddy Merckx's first Tour de France victory.

This year's tour started in Brussels, the home town of the greatest cyclist to every pedal a bike.  And the first stage was full of excitement.  And as is often the case, the first stage has already separated some of the contenders from several pretenders.  So it seemed like a good topic today to re-visit some horological related Eddy Merckx lore.


What Watch Did The Cannibal Wear?

Cycling is a passion of mine.  And while I think it is great that there are technological advancements, and that more and more people are following the Tour de France, I find myself wishing for an earlier time.  A time when there was no such thing as "specializing" in the Tour de France.  In other words, the very idea of riding a somewhat "kinder, gentler" schedule was anathema.  Riders like Merckx, Moser, Hinault?  They'd call it chicken-shit.

So while modern day cyclists seem to have a strange attraction to the Breitling B55... 

I personally want to know what the men who wore wool and rode steel would have put on their wrist.  

And I finally have a bit of an answer -

Courtesy of Rodania

It would seem that on more than a few occasions, Mr. Merckx wore a Rodania.

Shamelessly borrowed from Ebay

So while today's water carriers prefer an antenna equipped wristwatch, the all time champion wore a Rodania.