Watches: Autodromo "Starts Up" with Ford

utomotive-themed American watch brand Autodromo today excitedly announces its first major automaker collaboration with the Autodromo Ford GT Endurance Chronograph watch as well as a higher-end model available only to owners of the new Ford GT "supercar." It's a big step for the New York-based watchmaker that has been successful among car enthusiasts with a vintage car and lifestyle image and relatively affordable products. It also appears to signal a possible new upmarket direction for the brand, as the Autodromo Ford GT Owner’s Edition Chronograph will be equipped with a "Swiss Made Automatic Flyback Chronograph movement" - and those are known to be relatively pricey.

With so many crossover enthusiasts between watches and cars, the carmaker collaboration is a dream for watchmakers of all kinds. As Autodromo is exclusively focused on automotive and racing themes, however, this is one that seems pretty appropriate - which cannot be said for all such co-branding exercises. Further the national relationship is another popular way to tie brands together and help the association feel less forced - for example, there's the British Bremont x Jaguar (much more on that here) or the Italian Bulgari x Maserati collab (recent example here). Autodromo and Ford, of course, are both American.

Autodromo describes itself as "inspired by the golden age of motoring," meaning most of its watches are meant to broadly recall cars and racing from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s (Autodromo Stradale and Autodromo Prototipo), and the 1980s (Autodromo Group B). So these are all watches that are decidedly "retro" in their styling and often include things like leather driving gloves in the package. The new Ford GT, on the other hand, is a very modern machine that is Ford's fastest ever production car.

We don't yet have all the information on the Autodromo Ford GT Owner’s Edition Chronograph, such as its price or who is making the movement for them. Even the design is variable, as the idea is apparently for GT owners to be able to extensively customize both their car and the watch (at least in terms of colors) along with it. The brand has provided the limited renderings you see here as examples, and it is clear that it will be much more modern to go with the car. The case will be 43mm wide in steel and ceramic with a sapphire crystal dial to allow graphic elements to appear to float above a honeycomb-textured dial below. It will come on a rubber strap.