We’re a few decades off from the glory days of the World Sportscar Championship — an era that recalls the likes of Mario Andretti’s YEMA Rallygraf or the Heuer Monaco worn by Steven McQueen in the ‘71 film Le Mans. And yet, the ties between auto racing and the watch world are still stronger than ever. Modern brands such as Brew and Reservoir have honored the past while heritage names like TAG Heuer and Breitling have continued to dig through their archives, much to the excitement of collectors. Now, one of our favorite watchmakers, Autodromo, has partnered with the horology experts at Hodinkee for a take on the former’s fan-favorite Group B timepiece.
Since its debut in 2015, Autodromo’s Group B has always paid homage to the legendary, unbridled, and some would say infamous Group B rally racing that took place from 1982 until it was banned in 1986. This new collection with Hodinkee expands on the popular series with the first-ever chronograph versions of the watch. The series consists of five models, each inspired by a livery from a different ‘80s rally car. Powered by a Sellita SW 510 M B movement, the triple-register watches feature bi-metallic cases of titanium and stainless steel while bumping the case diameters to 40mm.
Inspired by the ‘85 Peugeot 205 T16, the lively T16 showcases cyan blue and white on the dial with each subdial hand sporting a different color. Much darker than the others is the 037, taking after the Lancia rally car of the same name, with the midnight blue and black dial contrasting the bright yellow hands. Meanwhile, Lancia’s Delta S4 livery is represented with a white and navy blue dial and cyan hands. Dual shades of green compete on the H01 model, which was made specifically for this collection by Hodinkee. Finally, the S1 model channels one of the most coveted Group B cars ever, the Audi Quattro S1, with a white and gray dial with yellow hands.
You can head over to the Hodinkee shop now to check out all five pieces from the Autodromo Group B Rallysport Chronograph Limited Edition For Hodinkee collection, each priced at $1,495.
