Launched to coincide with the brand’s fifth anniversary, the new Autodromo Monoposto Chronograph, limited to 500 pieces, is a modern re-release of Autodromo’s sold-out Monoposto Automatic and is the company’s first-ever automatic chronograph.
Inspired by the golden age of motoring, Autodromo’s Monoposto Automatic —literally meaning “single seat”— was created to recall a simpler era of Grand Prix racing, when the only information the driver had was contained in a few oversized dials and his intrinsic knowledge of the car’s performance.
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“I wanted to do something special for all of the Autodromo collectors and fans who missed out on the original watch,” says brand founder Bradley Price. “I couldn’t just re-issue the watch the way it was; we had to do something even more special and break new ground for Autodromo with the introduction of a mechanical chronograph. We also refined every aspect of the watch while trying to preserve what people loved about the original design.”
The new chronograph features the same eye-catching 43mm case design but is slightly thicker to accommodate the new Seiko NE88 column wheel chronograph movement, one of Japan’s finest, beating within. The 34-jewel movement features a column wheel and vertical clutch for incredibly smooth operation with very little wear on components.
The Monoposto Automatic’s now-iconic “Redline crystal”, an ode to an era without rev limiters or electronic aids to keep drivers from blowing up their engines, when mechanics would apply a strip of red tape or a line of red paint on the glass of the rev counter to make sure the driver knew his engine’s limits at a glance, has been retained by the Monoposto Chronograph but has been repositioned to avoid blocking the left subregister.
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An updated dial design features a tricompax layout referencing 1950s racing chronographs, with a running second hand at right, a 30-minute counter at left, and a 12-hour counter located at six o’clock.
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