Bulova Shelby Racer Chronograph Limited Edition
I’ve been traveling a bit too much lately and, admittedly, ATimelyPerspective has been a little too quiet. So, what better way to get back into the fast lane than with a new watch inspired by one of America’s most legendary race cars? Bulova and Carroll Shelby Licensing are at it again.
Less than a year after the two American names announced their partnership with a Shelby Racer Chronograph inspired by the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500, they return with a very different take on automotive watchmaking. This time, the inspiration comes from the 50th Anniversary Aluminum Edition Shelby Daytona Coupe—and the result is considerably shinier.
Bulova Shelby Racer Chronograph Limited Edition is crafted in stainless steel and sold with bracelet as well as an additional leather strap.
The new Limited-Edition Bulova Shelby Racer Chronograph takes its cues directly from the aluminum-bodied car, beginning with a highly polished stainless steel case and a mirror-polished silver-tone dial designed to recall the gleaming bodywork of the commemorative Daytona Coupe. And yes, there is a lot of polish here. But this isn’t simply a shiny watch with a famous automotive name attached to it.
Bulova has worked some of the car’s most recognizable details into the design without turning the watch into a miniature dashboard. The chronograph subdials take their inspiration from the Daytona Coupe’s gauges, while the alternating finishes on the stainless steel bracelet reference the double racing stripes associated with Shelby cars.
At 40.5mm in diameter, the stainless steel chronograph is also a bit more restrained in size than last year’s 43mm Shelby Racer. An anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the dial, and the watch is water resistant to 100 meters.
Flip it over and the automotive connection continues. Bulova and Daytona Coupe logos are incorporated into a glass insert on the caseback, commemorating both names without losing sight of what this actually is: a performance-driven chronograph.
The Bulova Shelby Racer Chronograph Limited Edition watch celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Daytona Coupe
The Daytona Coupe itself occupies an important place in American racing history. In 1965, Shelby became the only American car company to win the FIA Sports Car World Championship, helping change international perceptions of what American automotive engineering could accomplish.
Naturally, a Shelby-inspired watch needs something interesting under the hood. Here, Bulova turns to its proprietary high-precision quartz technology. The movement operates at an impressive frequency of 262kHz and drives both the sweeping seconds and the chronograph. One of the visual payoffs is the fluid sweep of the chronograph hand—a small detail that makes considerably more sense on a watch celebrating speed than the familiar tick-tick-tick of conventional quartz.
Bulova packages the Limited-Edition Shelby Racer Chronograph with a 1:24-scale silver-plated Shelby Daytona Coupe model. The watch arrives in a special Shelby presentation box and also comes with an interchangeable padded brown leather strap. The bracelet delivers the more modern, monochromatic racing look, while the leather gives it a decidedly different—and perhaps more traditionally automotive—personality. The Bulova Limited-Edition Shelby Racer Chronograph retails for $1,495.
The Bulova Shelby Racer Chronograph Limited Edition watch retails for $1,495.
