Category Archives: Autodromo
Wearing Today – Autodromo Stradale
Watches and Cars – Autodromo Stradale
A fair few of my watches are car themed. This beautiful Autodromo Stradale being one. It is a beautifully done retro car watch and the Japanese movement is just divine. Anyway I like to team watches such as this with a little model car and here I have put it with an Alfa Romeo Stradale, a lovely TSM model. Others I have done this with will follow in the next day or so.
Autodromo Stradale – Watch Collection No 24
Back in August of last year I mentioned my hankering for this watch and I wrote;
“I am torn between the blue strapped grey dial or the brown strapped cream dial. What I do know though is that I want one. As a car lover I feel I should give this brand a go and also I do not have any watches powered by this Japanese movement and I rather like the idea of having one in my collection. So there you are not the most rational of reasons / excuses for getting one but let’s be honest is any watch purchase in this world of smart phones especially rational? Of course not let’s talk honestly we buy watches because we want to and there is nothing wrong with that. By the way lest you have not guessed, I want this watch!”
I am also a mug for some sexy spiel about a watch and Autodromo certainly do that as you can see below. They talk of the watch “evoking a road trip in Northern Italy” and the “era of Gran Turismo” and of course this is literally spoon feeding me a desire for the watch. We have our own GT – the Opel GT – and this has already done several Italian road trips, notably one to Florence in 2012 and last year an epic Italian road trip taking in Venice, Brescia for the Mille Miglia and the Dolomites with 10 other Opel GTs. This September it is pencilled in for yet another Italian Road Trip as we explore Tuscany and then recuperate in Venice. Put simply, when Autodromo build a watch with styling that I adore, then tell me that it is the perfect watch for an Italian road trip then I am 80% ready to place the order. An evil watch demon on my shoulders says, “You haven’t got a Japanese automatic movement, wouldn’t it be fun to put one of those in your collection?” and I am 90% ready to place an order. I see that the UK supplier for Autodromo is Page and Cooper and that watches for them are a passion as much as a business and their ethos is perfect for them to partner Autodromo. At this point I am 95% sold on the watch. I e-mail Page and Cooper with a few routine questions and Jonathan (MD no less) e-mails back within the hour and says, “Perhaps we can speak on the phone and we can chat this through?” 100% there and the deal is done! And now it is on my wrist and I love it!
Courtesy of Autodromo
In the era of Gran Turismo, each journey was a unique adventure on winding roads and narrow mountain passes, accompanied by the sound of a mighty engine up front and a whiff of petrol and leather. Stradale, meaning “road going” in Italian, conjures memories of that special time when the gentleman driver blurred the distinction between a road car and a race car.
The Autodromo Stradale draws inspiration from dashboard instruments from Italian sports berlinettas of the late 1950s and early 1960s, featuring a fascinating multi-layered dial. Beneath the domed sapphire crystal, the hour indexes are applied to a transparent glass ring, which floats over the colored dial below for a 3-dimensional effect. The custom designed leather strap makes reference to the luxurious and colorful interiors of the time. This timepiece is powered by a 24 jewel Japan-Made automatic movement, beautifully finished and displayed behind a sapphire exhibition caseback. As with all of Autodromo watches, the Stradale arrives in beautifully conceived packaging evoking a road trip in Northern Italy circa 1960, complete with vintage-inspired map hand stamped with your purchase date.
Available in 3 colors:
Black dial with burgundy strap
Cream dial with brown strap
Gray dial with blue strap
Specifications
- Miyota 9015 automatic 24 jewel mechanical movement
- Calendar complication and hacking
- Sapphire crystals, front and rear
- Stainless steel case
- Water resistant to 50 Meters (5 ATM)
- Genuine leather strap
- Case diameter 40mm
- Case thickness 10.8mm
- Strap width 18mm at lugs
- Internal K1 glass ring with number indexes
The Watch Wall of Want – May 2015
Most months I will post a top ten of the watches on my want list. It is a very personal list and generally will be of watches that I can actually aspire too. It is not a list I intend to tick off as life isn’t that kind and in truth it has been a long while now since I actually bought a watch, but if funds came available it would be something off this list. Each month the list will change slightly as desires and wants change, or as watches become unavailable and so on. So here is my list for May, with photos following.
1. Hamilton Ventura Elvis 80
2. Autodromo Stradale Grey Dial
3. Christopher Ward C70 Ascari Chronometer
4. Breitling Aerospace Evo – Grey edition.
5. Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase – blue edition.
6. Armani Grey faced Chronograph
7. Autodromo Prototipo – orange and silver edition.
8. Chopard Monaco Historique 2014 Edition Chronograph.
9. Hamilton Ladies Bagley Quartz
10. Rolex Milgauss Blue Face.
Now, have fun thinking what your top ten would be!
Autodromo’s Latest Offering – The Stradale
Here at Beastie Folly we are still hankering after Autodromo’s last watch the Prototipo and now they have brought this to market. I am torn between the blue strapped grey dial or the brown strapped cream dial. What I do know though is that I want one. As a car lover I feel I should give this brand a go and also I do not have any watches powered by this Japanese movement and I rather like the idea of having one in my collection. So there you are not the most rational of reasons / excuses for getting one but let’s be honest is any watch purchase in this wortld of smart phones especially rational? Of course not let’s talk honestly we buy watches because we want to and there is nothing wrong with that. By the way lest you have not guessed, I want this watch!
Here is Autodromo’s persuasive blurb on this latest watch of theirs. Works for me.
In the era of Gran Turismo, each journey was a unique adventure on winding roads and narrow mountain passes, accompanied by the sound of a mighty engine up front and a whiff of petrol and leather. Stradale, meaning “road going” in Italian, conjures memories of that special time when the gentleman driver blurred the distinction between a road car and a race car.
The Autodromo Stradale draws inspiration from dashboard instruments from Italian sports berlinettas of the late 1950s and early 1960s, featuring a fascinating multi-layered dial. Beneath the domed sapphire crystal, the hour indexes are applied to a transparent glass ring, which floats over the colored dial below for a 3-dimensional effect. The custom designed leather strap makes reference to the luxurious interiors of the time. This timepiece is powered by a 24 jewel Japan-Made automatic movement, beautifully finished and displayed behind a sapphire exhibition caseback. As with all of Autodromo watches, the Stradale arrives in beautifully conceived packaging evoking the idea of a road trip in Northern Italy circa 1960, complete with vintage-inspired map hand stamped with your purchased date.
Available in 3 colors:
Black dial with burgundy strap
Cream dial with brown strap
Gray dial with blue strap
Specifications
- Miyota 9015 automatic 24 jewel mechanical movement
- Calendar complication and hacking
- Sapphire crystals, front and rear
- Stainless steel case
- Water resistant to 50 Meters (5 ATM)
- Genuine leather strap
- Case diameter 40mm
- Case thickness 10.8mm
- Strap width 18mm at lugs
- Internal K1 glass ring with number indexes
WatchBeast 