7 of the best driving watches to accompany you on your next canyon dash
Borna BošnjakThe relationship between cars and wristwatches is deeply intertwined and extends well beyond mere utility. To some people, cars are tools to get us from A to B, and to others, watches simply do the monotonous job of telling us the time. When it comes to watches to wear while driving, your mind will immediately go to chronographs – but that’s not exactly the point of this list. The complication is most certainly closely tied to racing watches, but for a watch that’s worn while actually driving, well, that’s a whole ‘nother ball game. Rather than just picking a Rolex Daytona or Heuer Monaco (great watches in their own right), this list concerns itself with watches that completely play into that driver-focused feeling, whether that’s because of their unique orientation, particular styling, or some other X-factor.
Autodromo Group B
The era of Group B rallying was the pinnacle of the sport in terms of how terrifying it was. Four-wheel-drive, turbo beasts roared down dusty forest trails, surrounded by crowds getting out of the way at the very last second – it was only a matter of time before the series was canned due to the danger factor. Luckily, the folks over at Autodromo have perpetuated the time of the Audi Quattro S2 and Lancia 037 with the Group B, with pure 1980s inspiration for the dash-like dial and integrated bracelet design. With a titanium and steel case housing the Miyota 9015, the 39mm case is just 9.9mm in height, and this Corsica Blue colourway also plays into the vaporwave aesthetic commonly associated with the decade. Price: US$950
De Rijke & Co. Guy Allen Amalfi Land
Champlevé enamel is not something you’d normally associate with a new microbrand, even less so when it’s used for a cartoonish depiction of a curvaceous mid-century GT. But that’s exactly the design Guy Allen came up with for his collaboration with De Rijke & Co. Capturing this sunset scene would be good enough for a spot on this list, but De Rijke & Co. is once again using its rotating case, where the wearer can slide the crown along the groove on the right-hand side of the watch. This tilts the entire dial, allowing for a better reading of the time when the watch is worn while driving. Price: €3,395 (~US$3,800)
Reservoir 390 Fastback
We’ve covered the 1950s and 1980s, so for the next spot on the list, we go straight to the 1960s for some American muscle. Reservoir has built its design language around retrograde displays, and this naturally ties the brand into cars given the similarity to tachometers. The 390 Fastback tributes the Ford Mustang of the same name from 1967, rendering its stylised numerals into the minutes, with the jumping hours at the bottom of the dial. The movement is a modified La Joux-Perret G100, with a patented feature that allows you to roll the movement backwards – usually a huge no-no when it comes to retrograde mechanisms. Price: US$4,180
Azimuth Twin Turbo
Azimuth exists in the wild category of watchmaking where the rulebook, along with all conventions goes out of the window. Founded in 2003, as far as watch brands go, it’s relatively new. The Twin Turbo is one such concept, a twin-dialled concept wristwatch, designed to look like a dashboard and to be worn while driving so the dials face you while your hands are on the wheel. It takes that one step further, with the sleek aluminium case cover lifting like a clamshell hood of a ’60s racer, to allow operation of the crowns for both movements. The movements are both manually winding vintage calibre ETA 2512-2s, themselves from the 1960s. The right dial displays the minutes, and the left dial displays the hours, both with independent designs that make them look just like a rev counter and speedometer. While the watch carries a somewhat futuristic look, it manages to capture that retrofuturism we know from the ’60s perfectly. Price: US$5,600
Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921
The 1920s were a transformative era, where automobiles truly became symbols of prestige and style. Cars roared into the limelight, gracing cinema screens and permeating popular culture, signifying status and allure. Simultaneously, the 1920s witnessed the rise of the wristwatch, transitioning from pocket watches and adapting to the era’s aesthetic. In this intersection of the automotive revolution and horological innovation, the watch as a driver’s companion began to unfold. The Vacheron Constantin 1921 emerged as a noteworthy timepiece, with its slanted dial design facilitating easy readability when worn on the inside of the wrist while gripping the steering wheel at 4 and 8, unlike how most of us would hold a steering wheel today. This classic watch echoes the 1920s spirit with a cushion case, Breguet-style numerals, the manual winding calibre 4400 movement, and of course, the slanted dial. Made exclusively in precious metals and featuring a gorgeous leather strap, it stands as a faithful recreation of the original and makes it a hidden gem in Vacheron Constantin’s collection. Price: US$33,400
MB&F HM9 Sapphire Vision
In the 1940s and ’50s, aerodynamics in motorsports and the automotive industry truly began to take hold, as engineers began to apply knowledge gained from aviation technology. Car brands started experimenting with some extraordinarily curvaceous designs, not only to make their cars faster and more efficient but importantly, to make their cars look out-of-this-world. This is where Max Büsser and his brand MB&F drew their inspiration for the Horological Machine 9, an exercise of scientific design and over-the-top aesthetics. This sapphire edition is the ultimate HM9, showing off its incredible internals through the most complicated piece of sapphire crystal you’ve ever seen, designed by Eric Giroud and Guillaume Thévenin, engineered with two independent balance wheels with a planetary differential. Like most MB&Fs, it looks like something from a sci-fi movie, but is done with excellent taste. Price: US$490,000
Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Seiko Giugiaro 7A28-7000 “Ripley”
I know, I know – what does the watch from Aliens have to do with driving? For a bit of background, the watch was launched in 1983, selected by the prop department of James Cameron’s horror movie as the wrist companion of the protagonist, Ellen Ripley, three years later. While the celebrity provenance helped its mass appeal, the main reason for it being selected is thanks to the fact it was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. While he was somewhat responsible for the birth of the MPV with the Lancia Megamama (for better of worse) and penned the FSO Polonez, he also designed the DMC DeLorean and BMW M1. For car enthusiasts, this is the stuff of dreams, especially if you’re into the “wedge” era of car design. While prices of the original watch rose considerably in recent years, you can still find it for around US$2,700. If you’re after something a little more affordable, Seiko did reissue the design with the SCED035 in 2015 (nicknamed Daughter of Ripley), though you’re not likely to spend less than US$1,000. Price: ~US$1,300 (SCED035), ~US$2,700 (7A28-7000).