For a long time, the glory of French endurance racing was shared between the Sarthe and Champagne regions. Le Mans wasn't the sole guardian of the temple. Just a few kilometers from the coronation cathedral, the Reims-Gueux circuit offered a different kind of ritual: that of speed. Three unassuming villages—Gueux, Muizon, and Thillois—formed a simple triangle of tarmac. A combination of departmental and national roads, nothing that seemed destined to become legendary. And yet, this track would become one of the most feared and respected in the history of motorsport.

Inaugurated in 1926, the circuit was unassuming: 8.3 kilometers consisting of three long straights, punctuated by treacherous corners with evocative names: Gueux, Thillois, Muizon. Three public roads repainted for the race, lined with thousands of spectators packed as close to the tarmac as possible. It was also in this year that the first 12 Hours of Reims appeared, organized regularly during the interwar period. The Second World War interrupted this momentum, but the revival after 1950 marked the golden age of Reims-Gueux, driven by the arrival of major manufacturers: Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari, and Ford.

The 12 Hours: Le Mans' Revenge

On July 4, 1953, at noon, the Jaguar C-Types took to the track for the first modern edition of the 12 Hours of Reims. This race, held at a different time—from noon to midnight—quickly gained a reputation as the "Le Mans revenge," organized two weeks after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, offering unlucky teams a second chance to shine. Stirling Moss and Peter Whitehead dominated the 1953 edition before Jaguar crushed the competition the following year with a historic 1-2-3 finish for its D-Types.

Between 1953 and 1967, the 12 Hours of Le Mans left a lasting mark on French endurance racing. In 1964, the event became part of the World Sportscar Championship. Ford entered three GT40s, determined to erase the memory of their Le Mans disappointment, but all three cars quickly retired. Victory went to Graham Hill and Joakim Bonnier in a Ferrari 250 LM, after 296 laps—a symbolic revenge for the Italian marque. This edition was also marked by the spectacular accident of Jean-Pierre Beltoise, who was thrown more than 50 meters and left in a coma for two days. For the 12 Hours also has its dark side: on June 30, 1956, Annie Bousquet, one of the best French drivers, was killed at the Muizon corner.

The last edition, in 1967, saw Jo Schlesser and Guy Ligier triumph in a Ford GT40 Mk IIB. Ford's only victory in the event.

Reims-Gueux, the origins of modern Formula 1

In the post-war period, Reims-Gueux also became a Formula 1 mecca. The circuit is inextricably linked to the career of Juan Manuel Fangio, a three-time winner (1950, 1951, 1954). In 1954, he became the first driver to break the symbolic 200 km/h barrier in testing at the wheel of the Mercedes W196. On July 6, 1958, Mike Hawthorn made history by setting the first average speed in a race exceeding 200 km/h. That same day, Fangio, aged 47, contested his last race at the wheel of an aging Maserati and retired from competition.

The last races took place in 1972. Today, volunteers are working to restore the grandstands, the brightly colored pit boxes, and the restaurant tower. In 2009, the circuit was officially listed as a historical monument. Approaching its centenary in 2026,

Arpiem wanted to pay tribute to this legendary speed circuit with its new TSR4. On the dial, you'll find the number "12" prominently displayed, referencing the 12 Heires race, the number 8.3 corresponding to the track's length, and at the bottom of the dial, its famous three corners: Gueux, Muizon, and Thillois. The circuit layout is engraved on the back of the watch.