“In an era where conformity and generic designs dominate, something has been lost,” say the folks at Hilts Watches. “Charisma and sophistication have become rare, leaving a longing for those iconic styles of the past.” There’s definitely some truth to looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses, but then again, we’ll probably never get to relive an era with another Steve McQueen, another “Dickie” Atwood, or Dan Gurney. I remember reading about a 19-year-old who recently broke Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding record and my instant gut reaction was to say, “There’s never going to be another Arnold”. Celebrating this glorious (some may say Golden) past, Hilts’ latest watches take inspiration from the modern-day kings who ruled our lives by ruling the tarmac and even the silver screen. With a gorgeously sporty design featuring two sub-dials and a retro aesthetic that stands out in today’s smartwatch-dominated world, Hilts’ chronographs are made in the good ol’ US of A using premium materials you’d find in haute Swiss timepieces.
Designer: Stephen Scott
Click Here to Buy Now: $599 $799 ($200 off) Hurry! Limited units for sale.
The Hilts Monaco ’29 Watch
The Hilts Atwood Watch
The Hilts Precision Chronograph has all the hallmarks of a good racing watch. With a speedometer-esque design featuring two sub-dials, a date-window, and even a tachymeter, the watch is an instant modern classic. The dial, complete with highly visible markings (coated in Swiss Superluminova no less) and a sporty arrow-shaped seconds hand, sits within a 316L stainless steel body, covered with scratch-resistant anti-reflective domed sapphire crystal. Two pushers sit on either side of the crown on the watch’s right side, while the left showcases a beautiful diamond engraving pattern. The inside features a Miyota Quartz movement encased within a screw-down case-back that gives the watch 100 meters (330 feet) of water resistance.
The diamond-textured side is accompanied by two pusher buttons and a Hilts logo-branded custom crown.
The watches come in four styles, named after iconic drivers and some of their most memorable races. The first watch, the Atwood, pays tribute to racer Richard Atwood who started out as an apprentice at Jaguar but carved his way into popular culture by winning the 1970 24-hour Le Mans and even acting in McQueen’s film by the same name. It sports a panda-themed colorway, with the judicious use of orange and blue, inspired by the the 917 seen in the Le Mans movie. The Speedway variant offers a reverse-panda aesthetic, named after, and inspired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the former home of the USA Grand Prix and the current venue for the Indy 500.
The Gurney celebrates racing legend Dan Gurney, the first driver to win races in Sports Cars, Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar, with a rich midnight blue dial that borrows from his F1 Mk1 racecar’s paint-job. Fun fact, Gurney is credited with beginning the tradition of spraying champagne on the winner’s podium back in 1967, something that still happens to this day! The last Hilts variant takes us to Europe with the Monaco ’29 in British racing green. The racing green color dates back to the early 20th century when the speed limit was a staggering 12 mph! It traces its roots back to the Emerald Isle in Ireland, where the races were held by the Brits, and was first featured on the international stage at the Monaco GP of 1929.
The watches come with three strap options, ranging from a stainless steel bracelet to dotted bio-leather or even rubber (if you’re a sports and diving enthusiast). Limited to just 1000 pieces per model, each Hilts Precision Chronograph comes uniquely serial-marked, assembled in USA, and ships in a gorgeous hardwood box that gives it instant collector-status.
Click Here to Buy Now: $599 $799 ($200 off) Hurry! Limited units for sale.
