Autoblog

Autodromo Monoposto watches put vintage tachometers on your wrist

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST

The explosion of the Swiss watch industry has brought with it an abundance of automotive-themed timepieces. Many of them are either excessively chunky or ornate, and the simplest, most elegant ones are often excessively spendy. The Monoposto series from Autodromo goes in the opposite direction: based on tachometers from mid 20th Century grand prix cars like the Alfetta 159 and Lancia D50, the sparse dials feature 'mounting' screws along the center line and a 'redline' painted inside the crystal.

The case is 43 millimeters across, the leather band clasped with a polished roller buckle reminiscent of vintage race cars. The series, built with automatic movements, calendar complications and an exhibition caseback, comes with either a black or matte silver dial and is limited to 500 pieces, each costing $875. Sure, you can probably still get them in time for Christmas, but it's never the wrong time for a good gift.

Autodromo Monoposto watches put vintage tachometers on your wrist originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hublot named as Ferrari's latest official timekeeper [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Ferrari

Watchmakers pursue partnerships with automakers and racing series like they're made of gold - which is, often enough, the case with the timepieces that ensue. Breitling has Bentley. Jaeger-LeCoultre has Aston Martin. TAG Heuer has McLaren. We'll let you draw your own conclusions about Porsche Design watches.

Ferrari's relationship with official timekeepers has been a bit more volatile, however. Girard-Perregaux served the function until a few years ago when the contract was awarded to Panerai. Cabestan was supposed to be producing a very high-end timepiece for Ferrari next, but now the coveted contract has been awarded to Hublot.

If that name sounds familiar to fans of the Scuderia, that's because Hublot already serves as official timekeeper for Formula 1 - much as Rolex does for Le Mans, Edox does for the World Rally Championship and Chopard does for classic rallies like the Mille Miglia.

Although the first result of their collaboration has yet to be unveiled, the partnership was officially announced this weekend at the Mugello circuit where Ferrari is wrapping up its season of client racing programs with the annual Finali Mondiali. Follow the jump for the press release and video footage from the press conference.

Continue reading Hublot named as Ferrari's latest official timekeeper [w/video]

Hublot named as Ferrari's latest official timekeeper [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edox X-Treme Pilot III is specially designed for WRC drivers

Noah Joseph — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Edox X-Treme Pilot III - Click above for high-res image

Whereas in circuit racing, drivers are competing against each other wheel-to-wheel, in rallying it's all a race against the clock, and the driver with the fastest time wins. So it follows naturally that rally drivers need the right tool for the job, and this is it: the Edox X-Treme Pilot III.

Crafted by the official timekeeper of the World Rally Championship specifically for WRC drivers, the X-Treme Pilot III features such unique touches as oversize push-buttons that are easy to actuate even with gloves on and a tachometer scale around the dial. It's housed in a lightweight titanium case with a wheel motif embossed on the case-back, and affixed to the paddock's most talented wrists by a rubber strap with rally-spec tire tread pattern.

The Edox X-Treme Pilot III will go on sale in June with an €1,890 (~$2,750) MSRP in a limited edition of 1000 examples.

[Source: Watch Happening]

Edox X-Treme Pilot III is specially designed for WRC drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TAG Heuer makes a watch worthy of the McLaren MP4-12C

Noah Joseph — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., MISC

TAG Heuer Carrera MP4-12C - Click above for high-res images

Try to equate TAG Heuer with an automaker and you might come up with Porsche. After all, one of its most famous products is called the Carrera, and the legendary Steve McQueen wore one on film while piloting his Heuer-sponsored Porsche 917 around the Circuit La Sarthe. But in reality, the Swiss watchmaker is much closer to McLaren.

Heuer took on the TAG name when Mansour Ojjeh acquired the watchmaker. His company, Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG), built the Porsche turbo engines that powered McLaren's F1 cars through the mid 80s to back-to-back world championships. Today, TAG Heuer is part of the LVMH luxury products conglomorate, but Ojjeh's independent TAG company still owns part of McLaren. And now, following special watches made to accompany the McLaren F1 and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the two have come back together for a timepiece to compliment the new MP4-12C supercar.

Based on the Carrera model, the MP4 edition features a carbon fiber dial with a large window to see the movement and a big orange zero where the 12 should be (to make it look more like a speedometer), is housed in a sandblasted titanium case and affixed to the wrist with a sweet perforated Alcantara strap. The orange detailing reflects McLaren's traditional color, and the 47-jewel Dubois Depraz Calibre 4900 fly-back chronograph movement features a perpetual calendar display. Only 1,000 examples will be made, and while you don't need to own a McLaren to buy one, it certainly couldn't hurt. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: TAG Heuer Carrera MP4-12C

[Source: TAG Heuer]

Continue reading TAG Heuer makes a watch worthy of the McLaren MP4-12C

TAG Heuer makes a watch worthy of the McLaren MP4-12C originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spyker times its arrival with custom watch collection

Noah Joseph — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Spyker

Spyker Timepieces - Click above for high-res image gallery

Supercars? Check. High-end sport-ute? On its way. F1 team? Been there. Le Mans program? Done that. Picking up the pieces of a fallen giant to take up position as an automaker to be reckoned with? Come on, something new here. Spyker's paid its dues and earned its place in the automotive industry. There's just one thing it needs: watches. Because after all, what's an exotic automaker without 'em?

Faint sarcasm aside, Spyker's line of timepieces looks better than most. Previewed back in April and unveiled at Le Mans this year, the Dutch automaker's range of wristwatches incorporate the special touches that make their cars so delectable. Details like a bezel emblazoned with the same corporate Latin motto that adorns their cars: Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via - For the tenacious, no road is impassable. (Has a nice ring to it, don't it?) The crown is adorned with the company's propeller badge. The chronograph push-buttons look like a C8's exhaust pipes. And the strap is made from the same quilter Royal Dutch Hulshof leather, hand-stitched in France, as the cars' interior, available in Dutch Orange, Black Anthracite or Blanc de Blanc.

They're crafted by Switzerland's Expression d'Artistes International, the Spyker wristwatches are powered by Valijoux 7750 automatic movements. And of course they come with a suitably Spyker-like price tag, ranging from $9,750 to $30,500. Hey, nobody said resuscitating Saab would be cheap, let alone all the other stuff. Details in the press release after the jump and photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Spyker Timepieces

[Source: Spyker]

Continue reading Spyker times its arrival with custom watch collection

Spyker times its arrival with custom watch collection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OriginTimes bores out the Bugatti Veyron of watch winders

Noah Joseph — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Bugatti

We've seen all kinds of creative and decorative uses for engine blocks, ranging from coffee tables to wine racks. This one, however, is decidedly more... mechanical.

The German craftsmen at OriginTimes have taken the engine block from none other than the Bugatti Veyron and turned it into a watch winder. The 16-cylinder block incorporates individual winders for (you guessed it) sixteen automatic timepieces, each individually adjustable and programmable according to the requirements of each watch, with each combustion-chamber-turned-watch-winder is lined in soft goatskin leather.

Of course you'd need to have a collection of sixteen automatic wrist watches to warrant the purchase - maybe a couple of Parmigiani Fleuriers among them - but if you've got the €75,000 (nearly $100k, before taxes) to spend on a watch winder, something tells us that won't be an issue.

[Source: OriginTimes via Luxury Insider]

OriginTimes bores out the Bugatti Veyron of watch winders originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silver Arrow concept watch unlocks the heart of the Mercedes SLS

Noah Joseph — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

Silver Arrow concept watch by Fabien Cacheux - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you're going to make a supercar, you're going to need the watch to go with it. It's what upscale customers have come to expect. But while Mercedes-Benz has collaborated with a number of watchmakers in the past, it has yet to release a timepiece to accompany its new flagship, the SLS AMG.

That's where Faibein Cacheux comes in. The budding French industrial designer has penned the concept watch you see here to compliment the Gullwing supercar. It features a tourbillon movement rotating around a central hub with a power reserve meter at six o'clock, all housed in a titanium case and affixed with a neoprene strap. And like Jaeger-LeCoultre's Aston Martin transponder, it incorporates buttons to open and close the doors remotely. '

Unfortunately the watch is just a concept at the moment, but if Mercedes could display the fortitude to bring the SLS to market, maybe it could do the same for the Silver Arrow concept watch.

Gallery: Silver Arrow concept watch by Fabien Cacheux

[Source: Fabien Cacheux via autoevolution]

Silver Arrow concept watch unlocks the heart of the Mercedes SLS originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scuderia One by Cabestan: Ferrari watch for Ferrari owners - at a Prancing Horse price

Noah Joseph — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Ferrari, Design/Style

Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ferrari's ever-expanding branding initiatives took a hit recently when the Italian automaker and racing team split with its watchmaking partner, Panerai. Apparently the collaboration wasn't doing much for either brand, so they called it quits. But it appears Maranello may be learning from its mistakes with this new collaboration.

What you're looking at here is a pre-production rendering of the next Ferrari timepiece. It's the brainchild of renowned watch designer Jean-Francois Ruchonnet, and will be produced by exclusive Swiss watchmaking atelier Cabestan. Based on some of Ruchonnet's previous designs for Cabestan, the Scuderia One incorporates an incredibly intricate vertical tourbillon movement, chain-driven via individually handcrafted links, with carbon fiber and other exotic materials employed in its construction.

Not enough to separate it from the Panerais and Girard-Perregaux watches that came before? Then the pricing and sheer exclusivity ought to do the trick. The watch will reportedly be limited to just 60 examples, available only to existing Ferrari owners at a price point of - wait for it - $300,000. Now if that doesn't say "Ferrari" to you, we don't know what will.

Gallery: Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan

[Source: Cabestan via Luxist]

Scuderia One by Cabestan: Ferrari watch for Ferrari owners - at a Prancing Horse price originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 May 2010 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spyker gears up to launch line of wristwatches at Le Mans

Noah Joseph — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Spyker

If you're going to produce world-class sports cars, you're going to need the timepieces to go with them. It's a time-honored rule that's been followed by Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche and Bugatti, to name just a few. And now that the Saab takeover is out of the way, Spyker is preparing to join their ranks.

The collection will be crafted by Expressions d'Artistes International, based in Geneva. Limited details have been revealed at this point, but the range will include pieces crafted in steel, white gold and rose gold, and feature such complications as date indicators and power reserve meters. They'll all bear Spyker's trademark steampunk-style decor, from the machine-turned metal found on Spyker dashboards to the Hulshof leather from their bucket seats, which will be used for the wrist-straps.

Special editions exclusively for Spyker owners will feature their cars' VIN digits. Prices will range from €8,000 for the steel model to €20,000 for the rose gold (that's $10,700-$27,000 USD), with the official unveiling to take place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Spyker]

Continue reading Spyker gears up to launch line of wristwatches at Le Mans

Spyker gears up to launch line of wristwatches at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche Design makes a splash with P'6780 Diver

Noah Joseph — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Porsche, Design/Style

Porsche Design P'6780 Diver - Click above for high-res image gallery

You'd expect a studio like Porsche Design to come out with the occasional driver's watch. But a diving watch is quite a different story. In fact, this is only the second time the studio has made one. The first was over 25 years ago, with the Ocean 2000, designed by company founder Prof. F.A. Porsche in 1983. The P'6780 is Porsche Design's innovative and rugged follow-up.

Capable of reaching depths up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), P'6780's party trick is actually quite functional: the stainless steel case that houses the movement hinges forward out of its titanium bracket (which in turn attaches to the rubber wrist strap), thereby insulating the case from shock and keeping the crown from being accidentally re-set.

Follow the jump for more details in the press release and check out the photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Porsche Design P'6780 Diver

[Source: Porsche Design]

Continue reading Porsche Design makes a splash with P'6780 Diver

Porsche Design makes a splash with P'6780 Diver originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time is Money: Mercedes-Benz reveals SL 63 AMG Edition IWC

John Neff — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Mercedes-Benz, Lifestyle

Click above for high-res gallery of the SL 63 AMG Edition IWC

Autoblog does a lot of posts on car-related timepieces, and that's thanks to Noah who has an affinity for the finer automotive-inspired paraphernalia in life. Unfortunately, he's not here right now, so I get to tell you about this new limited edition Mercedes-Benz SL 63 that's being produced in conjunction with Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen. Only 200 will be made, and each features the first application of a new white paint finish dubbed designo magno Kashmir. Though my desensitized retinas see plain old white where others see shades of Pearl and Egg Shell, there's no denying this brilliant veneer looks like a million bucks on the SL 63 AMG. Contrast that with the matte black finish of other components on the car's exterior, and you've got the world's most expensive Storm Trooper. Tobago Brown nappa leather will cradle your bum in the AMG sport seats while your feet fall on special black floormats that are one of about a dozen interior surfaces emblazoned with the AMG logo. The rest is pretty much standard SL 63 AMG fare, if you can call anything about this 525-hp convertible standard with a straight face.

Oh, yeah, the watchmaker tie-in: All 200 owners of the SL 63 AMG Edition IWC will also get a limited edition example of IWC's "Grosser Ingenieur" watch. Nothing can replace my Swatch, but I would definitely take the car.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Edition IWC

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Time is Money: Mercedes-Benz reveals SL 63 AMG Edition IWC

Time is Money: Mercedes-Benz reveals SL 63 AMG Edition IWC originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 May 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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