Rafael Larraz
There is a direct connection between the world of watches and motorsports, not only because of the fetish with the mechanical object but also because of its intrinsic relationship with the world of design. When I meet people in the hobby I can't help but glance at their wrist, often finding a nice topic of conversation that consolidates the bond created.
If we propose find an interesting watch with a modest but reasonable budget of €1.500, we will have very worthy options with a small potential for revaluation (as long as we don't visit our watchmaker much). I think it is important to look for the genuine in our future piece, since I conceive the purchase of a watch as something passionate, but with a view to the future, since it can last us a lifetime.
I do not recommend purchasing watches from fashion, promotional or ersatz brands (although in the list I contradict myself with the first candidate). Nor would I close myself to mechanical machinery, since there are very good quartz watches and in this price range no mechanical caliber is going to have particularly attractive complications. In this hobby You have to do a lot of research and refine your taste.. I hope this list serves as a starting point for you. In no specific order I show you my bets, 5 watches for less than €1.500 for car fans. Good hunting!
PIERRE CARDIN 'ESPACE' (PC109)
Spectacular design by Pierre Cardin, with Jaeger caliber (French instrumentation manufacturer) is a mechanical watch, it works by wind and its machinery is simple. Its greatest attraction is its peculiar shape, hug the wrist to orient yourself towards the driver allowing you to see the time while you are behind the wheel. This trick is not new, Cartier already made watches for this purpose in the 30s, but that does not mean that this configuration is very exclusive (probably because outside the car it is not ergonomic at all!) Within the Espace line the pilot Chris Amon was known for wearing the reference PC106 when he competed in F1.
Movement: Manual Winding
Case 35mm
Price: 700 – 1.100 €
SEIKO 'RIPLEY' BY GIORGETTO GIUGIARO
Many will not know this facet of Giugiaro, but in addition to such iconic designs as the VW Golf (1974) or the DeLorean (1981), also had some experience as an industrial designer. He designed several Nikon cameras, firearms (!) and even a small collection of Seiko watches, the 'Speedmaster' line, among which this exotic variant stands out. His rise to fame was like Ellen Ripley's watch in the unrepeatable movie Alien, the eighties version of the watch may be a little out of budget since they are collector's items, therefore, I recommend the reissue of this, reference SCED037, exclusive for the Japanese market in 2016. Thanks to the magic of the internet and 'import-export' it can be found at affordable prices on your trusted second-hand items website.
Movement: Quartz chronograph
Case 42mm
Price (SCED037): €400 – €800
SWATCH GRAND PRIX SCJ101
Launched in 1992, this Swatch was a real bombshell, within the brand's new line of chronographs, the reference SCJ101 stands out as a living reflection of the spirit of the 90s, neon colors, transparencies in the line of the Tamagotchi (1996) or even the GameBoy DMG-01 (1989 ). Personalities such as Giovanna Amati, pilot of F1 and Daniele Pradé, president of Fiorentina, have been seen with him. This reference, even though it is daring, I think it is quite wearable and it's a point ideal to start a collection as it is the most accessible of the watches in this article. Swatch recently launched a tribute to this watch called Neon to the Max (SB06J100) with a larger diameter than the original but which I think is not as successful.
Movement: Quartz
Case 37mm
Price: 100 – 300 €
OMEGA CHRONOSTOP DRIVER
Omega is one of the largest watch companies in the world, competing for second place in terms of sales volume with Cartier. But this does not mean that he did not have a slightly 'punk' period. From the late 60s to the early 80s they let their hair down, from these years we have the Dynamic range, with ovoid-shaped boxes and very striking color combinations, the mammoth PloProf 600 (Plongeur Professionel) that Jacques Costeau carried on his expeditions and the entire range of Andrew Grima jewelry watches. Perhaps the Chronostop was the first step in this creative explosion, it is a wonderfully useless watch, its stopwatch function only counts 60 seconds, without registering the minutes, but It has a very striking design, especially the 'driver' variant that the brand advertised to be worn on the front of the wrist. Rumors say that it was quite successful among health personnel, since its function and orientation made it easier to take the pulse.
Movement: Manual winding (Calibers 865 and 920)
Case 35mm
Price: 1.100 – 1.500 €
TAG HEUER FORMULA 1
We finish our list of 5 watches for less than €1.500 for car enthusiasts with Heuer. This brand has always had a special relationship with the automotive world., from its iconic chronometers, which are an essential piece for any sixties rally car, the Autavia chronographs, an almost 'uniform' watch for any decent driver at the time and the legend of Monaco, favorite of Steve McQueen. With the weight of this trajectory el Formula 1 It was a logical evolution after its acquisition by TAG (Avant Garde Techniques). An accessible line of watches, but very special; You can find them in countless combinations for the price of an expensive night in Madrid. Thanks to the good materials used, resin and steel, they are usually in good condition despite their age, it is just a matter of choosing a combination that you like.
Movement: Quartz
Case 34,5mm
Price: 200 – 450 €
