The Targa Florio is an open road endurance automobile race held near Palermo, Sicily. Always one of the toughest competitions in Europe and considered to be one of the most grueling challenges for driver and car, the first Targa Florio held in 1906 covered 277 miles through multiple hairpin curves on treacherous mountain roads at heights where severe changes in climate frequently occurred. By the mid-1920s, the Targa Florio had become one of Europe’s most important races as neither the 24 Hours of Le Mans nor the Mille Miglia had been established yet. Since the inception of the automobile, there has been a fascination amongst their creators and devotees with pitting them against each other in a race. And over the years, many a watchmaker has dedicated their timepieces to the romance of this pastime. In honor of the Centennial Celebration of one of the first known organized auto races, Stührling Original has entered the race with its Targa Series! On the heels of the success created by the initial models in the series comes the newest editions for 2008, the Targa 24 and Targa 24 Pro. Targa means “shield” and these eye-opening Stührling Original timepieces are large enough to be a shield! At a whopping 47 millimeters round and 53mm east to west including the crown, the Targa’s own the largest case in Stührling Original’s history. In keeping with the extraordinary demands of the race by the same name, every aspect of the Targa has been given consideration for durability, toughness and precision of engineering. Beginning with its engine, the Targa 24’s are fitted with the one of the most reliable chronograph movements available in watch-making : the Citizen-Miyota OS20. One of the most reliable quartz movements, this engine features a center-stop seconds hand, 60-minute sub-dial (at the nine o’clock position), a twenty-four hour indicator (sub-dial at three o’clock position), and a quick-set date complication (at the six o’clock position)! Just like the motor cars that compete in the race, the Targa 24’s engine is well protected. This extraordinary timepiece is safeguarded with a casing that is milled from solid 316L surgical grade stainless steel and a massive domed Krysterna™ crystal. With origins in the eyewear industry, Krysterna™ makes for the most shatterproof material available for use as “crystals” in the timepiece industry today; and in keeping with its motif of reliability and durability, only the best for this contrivance will do! Of course to be a true Stührling Original, there must also be noticeable attention given to detail and styling, and the Targa 24’s clearly pass that test! Beginning with its magnificent face which looks like something right out of an instrument panel from a race-car, the dial of the Targa 24’s have been hydraulically pressed more than twenty times to create multiple levels, a concentric circle design on the sub-dials and around the circumference of the inner dial (to create a subliminal look of instrumentation). The baton hour markers are all individually applied with two pegs each going through the dial and being sealed on the backside. Those batons have been treated with a mirror, high-polish finish to refract any light that it catches for that extra spark that can be seen at a glance. The minute markers as well as all of the indices on the sub-dials have been printed with a special lapping technique to ensure their permanence, and the same technique has been employed for the tachymeter on the flange. Talk about your styling, probably the first thing that anyone will notice at first glance is the intricate bezel-work. Framing this enormous machine is the striking “kris” cut mill-work on the bezel! Complementing the overall look of instrumentation are the ideal conical-shaped pushers on the right side of the case which flank (top and bottom) the guard rails for the knurled edge crown. On the flipside, the Targa 24’s are handsomely completed with a decorated screwed-in case-back. Featuring a dodecagonal step-design and the Stührling Original signature logo, the case-back is also made from 316L surgical grade stainless steel. The Targa 24 is mounted on an amply padded 24-millimeter wide genuine leather strap with a water repellant lining; while the final touch for the Targa 24 Pro is the boss stainless steel (316L) link bracelet. Fully integrated to the case, the five row parallelogram links form a bracelet that is 24 millimeters wide at the point of integration and tapers down to 20mm at the clasp. The precision of the engineering is unmistakably present on the custom bracelet as the links are all individually molded and held together with pins. And while the links are a significant 3.7mm thick, they sport all rounded edges and corners, and in their assembled state make a for a surprisingly fluid wrist adornment. To your mark, get set….GO…for the Targa!