[KarlStorz]

This article has just augmented my newfound interest in horology.

I did not know that horology and automobiles had such a deep connection. No wonder people with a great collection of Cars often have a great collection of Watches (also because they have deeper pockets).

It is also notable that some of the Ultra-luxury Cars come with elegant in-car timepieces.


The Mulliner Tourbillion in Bentley(optional)

Thank you @hey.rudey for such a wonderful article. I hope you will keep adding more content to the thread.

[AZT]

Originally Posted by hey.rudey

I am 21 years old. I was 16 when my grandmother gave me my great-grandfather's Tudor-Rolex Oysterdate, Universal Geneve Triple Calendar Moonphase, Milus Alarm, Raymond-Weil Ultra Slim, Dugena Automatic, and a few collectible Japanese watches.

Thats a beautiful collection. Definitely post pics on the Watches thread.

[landcruiser123]

I don't mind well-implemented digital dials. What I absolutely hate is the digital dials that go in the counter-clockwise direction(Hyundai i20, newer BMWs etc). The human eye is accustomed to seeing dials work in the clockwise direction.

The first gen Fusion (before the 2010 facelift) also had a beautiful analog clock in the center. Here are the dials I see often: (2012 Ford Fusion)
Between unlock and startup (shut off and exit too):


After starting: (the idle is high due to the midwestern winter)

[hey.rudey]

Short disclaimer: This is not an advertisement of any kind, rather a collection of my own thoughts on what I have experienced and felt. Content (both written and visual) present in this article is thoroughly researched, and shared with the consent of the external contributors. References and picture credits have been mentioned at the end. Please do drop in a few tips and suggestions to make my content enjoyable for everyone and to help it remain within the forum guidelines.

A huge thank you to everyone who read Part 1 and reached out! I am humbled by your responses! Please do share your thoughts with me about Part 2.

Once again, a huge thank you everyone!

Part 2

Chapter 3/ Rolex: Old World Charm, New World Dream

Heuer was the watch for the racers. Rolex was the watch for the well-heeled, gentleman drivers. Originally a British tool watch manufacturer; the name Rolex is now synonymous with wealth. Many collectors revere Rolex as “The King” of all watches. While some people find it overrated, it cannot be ignored that Rolex has taken the world by a storm.

There is a strange connection between automobiles and Rolex that I cannot quite describe. While the Universal Geneve Moonphase is my favourite watch in my collection, my Tudor-Rolex Oysterdate is the most favoured watch whenever I step out for a drive or for any automotive event. This is a trend I have seen with fellow enthusiasts as well. When I connected with them to hear their thoughts and stories for Dials and Dials (or scrolled through enthusiast groups), they spoke highly and deeply about their Datejusts, GMT-Master IIs, and Daytonas.



My Tudor-Rolex Oysterdate and Universal Geneve Triple Calendar Moonphase


The story of Rolex begins in 1905, when German born Hans Wilsdorf set up an eponymous company, Wilsdorf and Davis, with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis. They imported Swiss movements from Herman Aegler and placed them in locally manufactured cases. These watches were sold by local jewellers, who bore their own names on the dial. These watches were marked with the initials “W&D” inside the caseback. Sensing success of their own name, in 1908 Wilsdorf trademarked the name “Rolex”. The name was easily pronounceable; sequestered from foreign influence, and onomatopoeic in pronunciation.

Wilsdorf elucidated the need of precision in watchmaking from the early days of Rolex. He set up an office in La-Chaux-De-Fonds, Switzerland in 1908, and soon made Rolex the first wristwatch to receive the the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, bestowed by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne, Switzerland. Wilsdorf secured a “Class A” Precision Certificate from the Kew Observatory in 1914, usually reserved for marine chronometers to resonate with British consumers, who were ardent about timekeeping. This resulted in efficacious sales. Due to heavy taxation on Swiss movements, Wisdorf relocated Rolex to Geneva to make Rolex a complete Swiss manufacturer.



Rolex’s advertisement of Sir Campbell’s feat


With production costs reducing due to the concinnity of moving off-shore, Wilsdorf set his sights on a prevalent problem of the early 1900s watches: moisture and dust damage to the case and movement. After extensive research, the world was introduced to one of the most recognisable terms found on a Rolex; the Oyster case. In 1931, the Oyster Perpetual was born; the world’s first automatic/self-winding watch. Soon the Dayjust debuted in 1945, being the first watch to switch dates exactly at midnight, followed by many iconic model: the Submariner (1953), the GMT Master (1955), the first GMT watch (a watch that can switch between two different timezones) of its kind; the electromagnetic resistant Milgauss (1956); and the Deep Sea (1960), the watch used in the Mariana Trench expedition of the recording setting submarine Trieste.

Rolex’s association with motorsports began in 1933, when Sir Malcolm Campbell made his recording breaking land speed run aboard the Campbell-Railton Blue Bird. Sir Campbell was often seen sporting his Oyster (between 1930 and 1935), and caught the attention of Hans Wilsdorf with his numerous land speed attempts. When he made his record breaking run of 272 mph, he was made an ambassador of Rolex (for which he did not take any royalties). By 1935, Sir Campbell whole heartedly praised the build of the Oyster when he made his final record breaking run of 301.337 miles per hour (484.955*km/h) breaking the 300*mph barrier for the first time by a bare mile-per-hour. One interesting fact of the Blue Bird is that it was powered by 2,300*hp 36.7*litre supercharged Rolls-Royce V12; something barmy from a manufacturer that makes one of the most refined cars and jet engines in the world.

This whole feat also caught the attention of a 26 year old William France, who immigrated to the United States to be on the forefront of a new sport. France began participating in a new form of race that was incepted in 1936 on the shores of the Daytona beach. Between 1938-41, he found himself managing the 250 miles (78 laps longs) yearly feature, nurturing the roots for something bigger: the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The race moved to asphalt in 1959, when the Daytona International Speedway opened its gates to the world, with Rolex lending its name in 1961. Many popular racers of that time often competed with each other not just for victory, but for the watches that were won.



"It's all about the watch. Every one is sacred, and there are stories behind every one of these watches. It becomes more than a timepiece, it becomes an heirloom and even more so if it says 'Winner of the Rolex 24' on the back." - Scott Pruett, an American racer who has won 15 Rolex watches, including five for overall wins at the Rolex 24, during a career that spanned more than three decades.


These events were key to the release of the modern legend we call the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Before I step into the evolution of the Daytona, it is essential that I put this forth to you, the readers. The Daytona has had many models in its range; each of these are identified by its serial or reference numbers. Watches prior to the “Daytona” named watches are called “Pre-Daytona”, and are considered as a part of the series by few collectors and accounts. Although I have thoroughly researched the watch, I will only mention the reference numbers of the watches that stamped its presence in the automotive scene, and the collector’s wrist.



Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Ref. 6234 and the Rolex 722


In 1954, Rolex released its first race inspired watch, the Oyster Cosmograph Ref. 6234, the first Pre-Daytona. This watch had a 36mm case available in two options: black and silver, and was powered by the Valjoux 72 hand wound movement (internally known as the Rolex 72). An interesting fact about the Valjoux 72 is that it was found in many legendary watches such as the Heuer Carrera (something I have spoken about in Part 1), Breitling Navitimer, Universal Space Compax, and many more. The movement is an evolution of the Valjoux 22 movement, featuring a 14 lignes movement featured column-wheel construction and ran at 18,000bph while tracking time up to a total of 30 elapsed minutes. This meant that on the dial side, two registers could be found, with the one placed at nine o’clock tracking seconds. It differed from its previous iterations through the addition of a 12-hour counting register, which realised what many believe to be the chronograph’s ultimate form — two pushers, and three subdials. The 6234 was in production from 1954 to 1961, and was updated to the 6238 in 1961. The 6238 had two designated generations, with both sporting an updated Valjoux movement known as the Rolex 72B. The case was no longer water resistant; as the case was not an Oyster one. By 1965, the Rolex 72B was further updated and called the 722. The reference number that is considered as the true precursor to the Daytona, is the 6239 launched in 1963. This was the first watch to feature the name “Cosmograph” on the dial. The two dial options that were available on the 6239 were of a silver dial with black subdials, and vies-versa black dial with silver subdials. The case had a domed acrylic glass and sported a larger scale bezel. While this watch was not an Oyster case watch, it had a water resistance of upto 50m. The Rolex 722 movement was also found in this model.



Paul Newman’s Ref. 6239


The name “Daytona” was first used in 1965 on new variant of the 6239 called the Exotic Dial. Originally they wanted to call the watch the Le Mans, but due to copyrights they had to continue with Daytona, honouring the track where they were the official timepiece. The exotic dial featured a black body with white subdials, featuring a “15-30-45-60” seconds dial, and square tritium lumes. These dials were a splendid change from the sunburst dials, and in time were soon known as the Paul Newman dial. The reason this dial blew up in value and collectibility is a bit more than Paul Newman’s ownership of the 6239. Paul was gifted his watch by his wife when he began shooting for his film “Winning”. To ensure he was assiduous when behind the wheel, she engraved the famed lines “Drive Carefully Me”; a modicum reminder whenever he strapped up his beloved watch before heading to shoot. This did have a cavernous result on Paul whenever he took to track; both on and off screen. This watch was featured on his wrist in many magazines, where many Italian readers took a fancy towards this dial. They went on to give the Exotic Dial the sybaritic status which we all follow till this day. The more collector driven version of the Paul Newman/Exotic Dial is the Ref. 6241; which features a bakelite bezel, a scale of 200-250 instead of the 60-300 as seen on the bezels of older models, and a slimmer case with a smaller crown. This watch was again a Non-Oyster case.



An early “Le Mans" Advertisement


The 6240, which came before the 6241, was the first to feature screw down pushers and crown. This watch was an Oyster Cosmograph and had a a water resistance of upto 100m. By 1970, the name “Daytona” was standardised across all dials with the Ref. 6262, also introducing with pump pushers and a new calibre, the 727. The watch was largely the same for many years, save for a few minor changes. Gold variants were available too, initially in limited batches before they became available to the average Rolex consumer. In 1990, we see the birth of a new generation of Daytonas, the 16500 series. These watches had a Zenith 400 derived movement which Rolex called the 4030. Rolex reduced the frequency from 5Hz to 4Hz for reliability and introduced a new balance, making this the first automatic Daytona. This also introduced the lacquered black and white dials for modern Daytonas. The movement was developed till 1998. The 4130 completely replaced the Zenith derived movements, featuring a 72 hour reserve and hacking. The current Daytonas now carry the reference numbers 1165XX.



Daytona Ref. 6265 “Red” Prototype


Hacking is when you set a watch's second hand together with its hour and minute hands at will. It is also known as a hack or stop-seconds function. It was in the 20th century when this function was developed to help in the synchronisation of watches

Rolex had often associated itself more with the Americans and their racing background. However, this isn’t entirely true anymore. Since 2013, we can find their names with the world’s biggest race series such WEC and F1, and classic motor rallies such as the Goodwood Revival. It is impossible to not find a Rolex banner whenever you tune into any prominent historical race circuit or series feed. In my opinion, Rolex has very cleverly marketed itself to be “The King” of watches. It is not a hidden fact that ADs waitlist a huge number of dreamers, only to privilege their loyalest customers (rather bluntly, the biggest spenders). It is a clever tact employed by Maranello itself, and may I say I rather genius one! The design language has been similar over decades, and this simplicity has garnered fans and loyalists of the brand. Their watches are still essentially the same tool watch Wilsdorf created in the early half of the 1900s. Rolex isn’t just a dream for people, but rather a case study or a story to learn from. We can buy watches that please us, but without a Rolex, an all-out collector can never call his collection complete.



Goodwood Revival


Chapter 4/ Drivers and their watches across our country



Mr. Almeida behind the wheel of a Land Rover Defender Camel Trophy


Dials and Dials isn’t a story of past glory or history. It is rather a celebration of a passion, shared by many people across decades devoid of age and money. To write D&D, I had created and shared a questionnaire with many like minded enthusiasts to understand their passion for automobiles and timepieces. These contributors varied in many aspects; from the cars they drove to watches they wound; but they resonated the same zeal, and excitement.

From my questionnaire, I found a few interesting findings. These are the accounts as shared by the contributors using their permission:

1. Rolex owners are encomiastic about their BMWs:

After interacting with known BMW owners, I found this connection between BMW and Rolexes. What I truly find fascinating is that all the contributors I will be mentioning are owners of BMW 5ers of different generations; the E60, the F10, and the G30.

Mr. Raghani [BMW (G30) 530D M-Sport and Rolex Datejust with Blue Dial]:


The car is simply amazing. The comfort and the stiffness on demand. The engine making 700nm torque allows for some sideways action when in the mood while also being an absolute highway cruiser. The watch goes really well as the car is Carbon Black (blueish) and the Datejust has a blue dial. In addition, it’s much more lighter and smaller on the wrist compared to my Seamaster or Oris diver.

Mr. Nair [BMW (E60) 525i and Rolex Datejust in White Gold]:


Ever since I saw the bangle era cars in the UK, it has always been my desire to buy one and as I moved back into India. BMW had just opened shop in India and it was a no brainer to get one. As with the Rolex, it was a desire I had ever since my father sported the solid gold and chrome combo DJ OP, which was actually given to him as a gift from the Sultanate of Oman back in the early 80s.



2. Style matters:

The aesthetics involved between a car and a watch is something many enthusiasts (including me) take highly into regard. Be it the dial colour, car paint, strap, our attire, or shoes; we take it all into consideration. Simplicity and cleanliness of designs do play a major role.

Mr. Almeida [Mahindra Scorpio Getaway Pickup and Casio G-Shock/CasiOak]:


I have been working on cars for the past 16 years, and I have been collecting watches pretty much since the same time. But what made me pair them is the colour similarity. I have watches in various colours, and cars that I have worked on are in varied colours too. Soon, I started painting a car and a watch in the same colour tone.

Mr. Punjabi [A varied selection of cars and watches to choose from! Featuring his Banglore Watch Company Mach 1]:


My current favourite weekend car would be the Ferrari 812 Superfast. The watch combo will differ depending on my outfit. I usually do not care about the pairing. The watch goes with outfit and not the car.

Mr. Kulkarni [BMW (E36) 316i and Tissot Classic PR 100]:


The watch is simple with sapphire glass and just a classy one for all occasions. The car is a classic that definitely turns heads.

Mr. Madnani [Porsche 718 Cayman and Panerai Luminor PAM 00104, Apple Watch SE, Rolex Daytona]:


Favourite weekend car is my Porsche 718 Cayman. Go to watch depends on what I’m wearing. But if it’s just a drive then my Apple watch SE or my Panerai Luminor PAM00104. My Porsche has black interiors. So for a splash of colour, (Apple Watch is white and my Panerai has an orange rubber strap) I like this combination.

Mr. Raghani: The BMW colour. Blue in the day and black at night. Quite a sight!

Mr. Gupta [Ford Endevour 3.2 and Rado Centrix Automatic]: The black and silver colours of my car and watch resonate very well with each other, I enjoy this pairing very much.

Mr. Jalan [Volkswagen Polo and Seiko 5 Diver]: I never bothered about pairing. It just worked for me. My watches mainly work with my outfit.



3. The bonds we create:

There are many stories with our time pieces and cars. Be it the bond of friendship, the joy of a dream, or the passion of a project; there is always something personal associated with our machines.

Mr. Moulik [Honda (FD) Civic and Casio G-Shock/CasiOak, Omega Seamaster (Vintage)]:


Mr. Surekha’s Ferrari 458 Spider and Mr. Moulik’s Omega Seamaster

When it comes to my favourite weekend car, it has to be my 2006 Honda Civic. I tend to wear my CasiOak or GA-2100 a lot when I drive that car. However, more than often, I have the pleasure of riding shotgun with my very good friend, more like an elder brother's Ferrari 458 Spider and that's what I look forward to the most during the weekends. Whenever we're out in that car, I like to wear my vintage Omega Seamaster that used to be owned by my great-grandfather. The 458 being one of my dream cars, it just feels very special to be wearing that watch while in that car.

Mr. Urmese [Skoda (Mk. 3) Octavia vRS (Stage 2) and Omega Seamaster 007 Edition]:


Even though we don't need that sought of luxury items it's the love or passion towards them that we fall for it. The more you learn about both, the more eager you will be about your dream car/watch. It's an endless journey...

Mr. Almeida: I’m an outdoor person, I love my Getaway pickup. That’s my go to car for the weekend and the watch I’m most obsessed with now for the outdoors is my Casio Oak.

Mr Kulkarni: I have always wanted a classic BMW and was fortunate enough to have gotten one in relatively good shape that I could properly restore. The watch was the first Swiss Made watch I could buy out of my salary.



4. The legacy behind the brands:

History has often played an important role when deciding a car or a watch. It narrates a story when on the wrist or behind the wheel.

Mr. Madnani: With regards to watches I think each watch is unique in its own way. I love owning anything from brands that have a rich history and a story to tell. (Like Rolex, Panerai, Omega, IWC and even Apple for that matter). And there’s the similarity with Porsche and their fantastic history.


Mr. Moulik:


I don't know if there's anything unique I can talk about, but definitely design wise I'm in love with both of them. G Shocks and Civics. Both have been around for years, both have been icons in their own sphere. A good place to start. The best part is, even though I have the pleasure of spending a lot of time around Vacherons and Ferraris, I learn to love what I have even more because I realise this bond is special to me, deep down. It's perfect, really.

Mr. Raj [Land Rover Defender and Casio G-Shock/CasiOak]:


It's no surprise that watch collectors are often vehicle collectors. A respect for design, production, and mechanical intricacy connects two disparate obsessions. Watches and automobiles operate in vastly different ways. They do, however, have certain underlying commonalities that make them intriguing like Movement and Car Mechanics.

Mr. Rohra [Honda (EG) Civic and Casio Calculator]:


About my car, very few Honda civics EG are still running all around India. Very few people know about the Casio Calculator watch. They are both old school machines, and I enjoy them thoroughly!


All of the mentioned gentlemen varied with their answers, but their passion hummed true. When I asked all them about Dash Clocks, Motorsports, and using their watch chronographs; they resonated the same answer:

1. They all spoke positively about dash clocks, as they added a certain elegance and oomph to the cockpit. This wasn’t the same for modern digital clocks. Clocks from Bentley, Mercedes-AMGs, Porsches, and Maseratis were highly appreciated.

2. Motorsports plays a huge role to watch development. The engineering used for the track very often brought precision to timekeeping. They are closely knit, and cannot be separated from each other’s history.

3. None of these gentleman have ever used their watches for timekeeping on track days.

4. A common watch that many enthusiasts like is the CasiOak!

Epilogue

As the years go by, the bond between a driver and his car deepens. It creates new stories, new bonds, and new opportunities; it creates an escape from the mundane for a few. The internal mechanicals of our cars are something we are so attuned to, they tick precisely like our timepieces. Our cars and watches are not just possessions; they are stories. The journeys we have traveled, the hardships we have faced. They are not just reminders of our successes and failures, but our companion on the path we yet have to tread. The journeys and accounts I have shared in this blog are a celebration of journeys; the ones we have travelled, and the ones we have to begin mapping for. I wish every reader of this blog good times, great machines, and greater stories ahead.

Dials and Dials: A look at the individual journeys of creation, joy, and revelations.

Fin.



Rolex 4030 and 4130



References and picture credits:
Rolex, True Facet, Phillips Auctions, Watch Centre, Race Review Online, Hiconsumption, Robb Report, Monochrome Watches, Motor Trend, Everest Bands, WatchTime, Prestige Online, Time and Watches, Wikipedia, HQ Milton, YouTube, Rolex Magazine, Drive Women Magazine, Goodwood Revival, Craft and Tailored,