Would you wear a watch made with bits from a vintage race car?
Published on Feb 28, 2022 at 3:57 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Mar 30, 2022 at 5:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
REC is an independent watch brand from Denmark.
The company is making some noise and gaining a cult-like following both in the watch world and the car world.
The company has a very simple strategy – to make watches using recycled metal from actual vehicles.
And while the strategy is simple, the process is far from it.
REC cherry-picks cars and bikes with strong heritage and re-uses the metal that’s scrapped during the restoration process to manufacture several components of the watch (the dial, the case, sometimes the strap, etc.)
And they use the iconic and most recognisable design features of the car in question as inspiration for their timepieces.
READ MORE: Fancy this $1.5m Bugatti watch to match your hypercar collection?
In the past two years, REC has created watches made from (and inspired by) the 1960s Ford Mustang, a Tourist Trophy-winning motorcycle, limited-edition Porsche 911s and even the Spitfire aircraft.
But before all that, back in 2019, they launched this underrated and overlooked piece fashioned from the chin spoiler of the 1971 Datsun BRE 510 racing car (wearing no. #46) as a tribute to John Morton, a Le Mans-winning racing driver from the US.
The metal from the car was used to craft the case back of the watch.
And underneath the dial, lives a Miyota-sourced automatic-winding movement, which creates a nice connection: a Japanese movement for a Japanese car.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
