SIHH 2015: Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph (Updated with Live Photo and Price)


Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph Among the new offerings from Ralph Lauren at this year’s SIHH is the new Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph. Inspired by the instrument panel of Lauren’s legendary 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, this piece evokes the exotic yet purposeful aesthetic found in the cockpit of a car many regard as the finest gentleman’s sport coupe of all time.

Many great automobiles of the 1930s made lavish use of exotic materials for their interiors, yet the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe stands apart. Its dashboard features beautifully grained wood and perfectly balanced, ultra-legible white-on-black instruments and gauges that instantly convey needed information. This dashboard inspired the new Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph. The dial’s handmade wood dial accent is crafted from specially chosen loupe d’orme, or elm burl wood, and it reflects the interior trim of the Type 57 SC’s cockpit. To recreate the visual detail and impact of the automobile’s instrument panel on the watch dial, only veneers with the right concentration of knots and grains were chosen. Because each wood accent differs from all others, each watch is a unique piece.

Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph
The hand-finished elm burl wood dial accent sets the Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph apart.

This singular dial is surrounded by a stainless steel case measuring 44.8 x 12.2 mm, and beneath the dial lies a refined caliber worthy of the Type 57 SC’s heritage. To create the movement, Ralph Lauren partnered with Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. The movement, self-winding caliber RL751A/1, runs in 39 jewels, beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and offers a 65-hour power reserve. The Côtes de Genève and perlage decoration is exclusive to Ralph Lauren.

The Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph — part of a slew of new Automotive models, including a COSC-certified chronometer and a skeletonized model with an IWC Jones movement — will be priced at $7,800. Scroll down to see a live wrist-shot from SIHH.

Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph
The Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph is inspired by the legendary 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.

Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph - wrist

No Responses to “SIHH 2015: Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph (Updated with Live Photo and Price)”

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  1. Beautiful. This is how wood should be used in a wrist watch. Reflecting to yesterday’s luxury sport cars in such a convincing way is an expression of the passing of time. Using a Jaeger Le Coultre manufacture is a homage to the magnificent Bugatti.

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  2. Bert Kanne

    Wood has no function whatsoever in a watch. That’s why very few watches contain wood.

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  3. Each piece unique due to the burl wood: A great idea,,now why didn’t Brietling/Bentley and JLC/Aston Martin do this first? tch tch guys ;) and well done Ralph!

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