Automotive-Inspired Watches For Car Enthusiasts
Autosports and watches go together like whiskey and cigars. Car racing, after all, is inextricably connected to timekeeping. It’s safe to say that many innovations in the sport watch branch of horology have been directly inspired by needs on the racetracks. It’s also safe to say that automotive-inspired watches are also aesthetically in-line with the tastes of car enthusiasts.
Who wouldn’t want a timepiece with the dynamic curves of a Porsche or the brawn and cool factor of Pirelli slicks? If your answer to that question is “people with poor taste” then you’ll love the speedy timekeepers I’ve got for you here.
Bremont Jaguar C-Type
Not only is the Bremont Jaguar C-Type a historically important design, but it’s as quintessential as a racing watch gets. From the pushers and tire-embossed crown to the rally strap, it hits all of the visual cues, while maintaining its distinction.
And of course it does. This watch commemorates the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Le Mans race, when its namesake car finished first. And second. And third. The steel visuals are a hat-tip to the C-Type’s steel chassis, while also giving it a slick yet industrial look.
Price: $6,550
Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph
Ah, the square legend himself. There’s truly nothing like the Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph, and I don’t say that lightly. Unlike the Rolex Explorer II, the Monaco is rightfully attributed to Steve McQueen, who wore it in the 1969 film Le Mans.
Impressive cosigning aside, this watch’s distinguished square-forward look is perfectly cinched with flawless details. Just look at the almost liquid T-1000-looking polishing on the sides of the pushers and where the case angles out. The Monaco offers different optical experiences from every nuanced angle.
Price: $8,100
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of important chronos. And while many think supremacy goes to Omega’s Speedmaster (at least in the popular imagination), I believe that it’s a tie when you’re looking at it from the racing watch perspective.
Sure, the Speedy went to the moon, but the Paul Newman Daytona broke records. Even more, there’s literally a Daytona for everyone. Find this perfectly-built racing watch in classic black with white gold, stainless steel panda dials, and several colors and levels of jewel settings.
Price: $15,100+
Porsche Design Chronograph 1
The black ops member of Porsche’s team of Chronograph 1s is undoubtedly the most commanding. With its integrated bracelet and brand-exclusive black carbide coating, this rendition of their 1972 classic really makes you look like you have the highest level of TSA clearance.
As Porsche does, the functions on this limited range also provide style. The titanium build is strong, light, and matte. The red chronograph hand is a legible pop of singular color. And the viewable Porsche rotor is impeccable.
Price: $9,650
Breitling Top Time B01 Chevrolet Corvette
The popular concept of injecting a classic watch design with the essence of a classic automobile is difficult to achieve. Breitling absolutely nails it with this Top Time B01, which may actually be a repurposed Chevrolet Corvette.
The Top Time’s charismatic squircle subdials with the striking red of the Sting Ray Chevy, are topped off with an immaculately cambered and beveled sapphire. Along with evoking the low-profile body of the famous ‘60s Corvettes, it runs on the Breitling 01 which boasts a 70-hour power reserve. Powerful engine. Powerful movement.
Price: $8,250
Yema Rallygraf
The Yema Rallygraf has the retro cool cache of a Casio calculator watch, and the slick and always relevant construction of a good, honest sport watch. The dial, modeled after vintage car dashboards, is accented with elegant applications and a polished body.
Don’t tell me you aren’t charmed by the bloated cut-out subdials and Rallygraf’s checkered racing flag emblem. Plus, it runs on Seiko’s VK64 meca-quartz movement, which provides a buttery smooth chronograph second hand.
Price: $369
Autodromo Group B Automatic
The Group B era served the automotive world with the strongest, fastest, and most refined rally cars in history. Inspired by this golden age, the Autodromo Group B Automatic features the clean, efficient, and nostalgic aesthetic of ‘80s rallying.
The two-part titanium and steel construction of the case is impressively bulk-free, while the Miyota movement is a genuine workhorse. It’s minimal, potent, and is the kind of watch that impresses without looking like it’s trying too hard.
Price: $975
Omega Speedmaster Racing
Before the Speedy went to the moon, he was built for the tracks. And boy do I love how the Omega Speedmaster Racing leans hard into this origin. Don’t get me wrong. I love the Moonwatch. But, the remixed features on this timepiece are meaningful, versus tacked on for the sake of differentiating it from the more common Speedys.
The main differences are the sharply-defined racing-style minute track, and the pops of racer orange throughout. And since Omega labors over details, the perforations on the rally strap feature tonal orange accents, bringing the whole design together.
Price: $9,200
Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph
Tag Heuer is one of the founding fathers of automotive watch brands. The Carrera Chronograph, in all its iterations, is the tentpole design. From its birth in 1963 to Tag Heuer providing every member of the Ferrari Grand Prix Scuderia team gold versions in 1971, this is the history lover’s watch.
As far as its design? Brawn, meet class. It’s the kind of watch you can wear on the racetracks and in the boardroom. The polishing is beautiful, the brushing is fine, and the applications are perfect. Did I mention the 80-hour power reserve?
Price: $6,100
Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph
Chopard uses both their expertises, the art of jewelry and the art of Swiss watchmaking, to add an imaginative and downright fanciful flair to the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph. The tire track embossing on the bracelet, the onion crown, and the layered Arabic indices are undeniably fun.
Still, this is a serious sportwatch. It’s, of course, associated with the famous 1000 Miglia race in Italy. And its solid construction and COSC-certified movement are testaments to its topnotch engineering.
Price: $9,140
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