Motorsport watches are the perfect combination for watch lovers and petrolheads.
If you think about it, motorsports and watches go hand in hand. Before fancy electrical timing systems were created, drivers had to rely on their watches to stay on top of their lap times.
Driving watches may not be as popular as they once were, but racing inspired watches certainly are. Many watchmakers have teamed up with racing teams and brands to create some of the best motorsports watches around.
Other watchmakers have simply gone with the theme of racing and created amazing motorsport watches alone. Either way, the results are great for fans of motorsports. Discover which are the best racing watches in our guide to motorsports timepieces!
1. Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Bugatti Furious 300+ – £433,000
Let’s go, go, go with perhaps one of the most expensive motorsports watches on the planet. The Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Bugatti Furious 300+ certainly doesn’t come cheap. However, you do get something truly amazing for almost half a million.
This sports watch showcases two triple-axel tourbillons, a monopusher chronograph function and a minute repeater. Thanks to its complexity, it would be crazy to actually use this watch while racing.
The aim of watches used for racing is to be easily read from a glance as it’s more important to keep your eyes on the road. This partnership between Bugatti and Jacob & Co. has provided plenty of style but perhaps not simplicity.
The case is a rectangular 57 mm x 52mm forged carbon and titanium with a smoked sapphire dial. Limited to just three pieces, spotting one of these in the wild will take some hunting down.
2. Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Meteorite – £27,500
It’s no surprise that Rolex is the designer of some of the best motorsport watches. The British-founded Swiss designer has been the leading light in watchmaking for over a hundred years.
Rolex brings its elegant and luxurious design features to the motorsport watch with the Cosmograph Daytona. We have chosen the Meteorite version, which is new for 2021.
The dial is made of meteorite which is high in nickel and iron content. This unique blend of minerals, shaped by the elements of the solar system, brings a unique style to the Rolex. Rolex’s subtle three-subdials are instantly recognizable and the 18k white gold case makes it memorable.
3. Richard Mille RM 11-03 Automatic Chronograph McLaren – £146,000
Not many people are fortunate enough to be able to match their watch to their sports car. However, McLaren drivers can invest in this racing watch by Richard Mille for the perfect partnership.
Inspired by the McLaren Ultimate Series, Richard Mille and the luxury sports car brand have matched car and watch by edition numbers. Only 500 of each have been created. To get your hands on one you need to invest in the McLaren Ultimate Series as they come as a pair.
Skeleton watches don’t often make the best racing watches, but as far as motorsport-inspired timepieces go, this is among the very best. You can even set the automatic watch to racing or walking mode. This prevents the self-winding mechanism from damaging the movement while you are tearing it up around the track in your McLaren.
4. Porsche Design 1919 Chronometer Flyback – £5,100
Race car inspired watches don’t come with much bigger partnerships than Porsche. The German car manufacturer has enjoyed great success on the track and it brings that winning mentality to watchmaking too.
Porsche Design launched this chronograph flyback in 2018 and it’s fair to say it’s an elegant and luxurious motorsports watch.
The titanium case is light on the wrist while the modern blue dial and strap mean it can be worn for most occasions. Sure it’s a sports watch but with the luxury styling, it won’t look out of place at an exclusive event either.
5. Frederique Constant Vintage Rally Healey Chronograph – £2,595
Frederique Constant creates elegant, luxury watches but it’s not afraid to push its limits. Much like the sport this watch was inspired by; rallying. Rally drivers don’t have much time to take their eyes off the road.
The moment they do they can be surprised by a hairpin turn, a bump in the road, or perhaps the edge of a cliff. Watches for rally driving need to be easily readable or else they are useless.
That’s where this Frederique Constant watch comes in. Frederique Constant has been a long term partner with the Austin Healey Club and this watch is inspired by the vintage British racing team.
It comes in racing green and its two subdials make for quick reading, especially with the red hands that stand out at a glance.
6. Hublot Classic Fusion Ferrari GT – £32,000
Hublot has brought this special Ferrari watch for racing enthusiasts to enjoy. The Italian luxury sports car brand has been in partnership with Hublot for quite some time and the pair has created over 50 watches over the years.
However, the two companies recently decided to take a break from each other. That’s okay though as mens motorsport watches have a new fascination as Ferrari is now aligned with Richard Mille.
Perhaps the most iconic watch of Hublot and Ferrari’s partnership is this Classic Fusion Ferrari GT from a few years back. Hublot’s chronograph dials are designed for a smaller timepiece but this one is larger than the average at 45mm.
Much like the most exclusive Ferrari models, Hublot limited the supply of this watch to just 500. That means adding one to your collection is going to take some serious cash and persuasion to convince another collector to part with theirs.
7. Briston Clubmaster Sport – £265.00
Vintage racing inspired watches don’t come more affordable than the Briston Clubmaster sport. The French watchmaker was inspired by 1960s motorsports when it created this vintage-looking piece.
This quirky watch will make you feel like a regular Steve McQueen thanks to the retro cushion-shaped case and acetate case. There is also a tachymeter on the bezel so you can nail those lap times in your Ford GT40 or Jaguar E-Type.
Motorsport Watches: Uniform Wares
Our minimalist and contemporary watches can also take some inspiration from the world of motorsports. We have a chronograph collection for male, female, and unisex wearers.
Thanks to our Swiss-engineered movements, you can count on a Uniform Wares watch to keep precise lap times.
With our minimalist approach to design, we ensure that when you look at your watch the dial is free from distractions. You will find a simple and clean face on our chronograph watches with a calendar movement with -10/+20 seconds accuracy per month.