There are plenty of watches out there that try to emulate one car or another, but it takes something truly unique to accompany a car like a Bugatti. For its part, Parmigiani Fleurier has had at it a couple of times with timepieces matched to Molsheim’s latest, but to run with a car as coveted and prized as the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, really only one brand would be up to the task: Ralph Lauren.
Everyone from fashionistas to holiday shoppers know Ralph Lauren as a clothing label, but automotive enthusiasts like ourselves know him as the proud owner of one of the most delectable classic car collections the world has ever known. Once in a while, Mr. Lifshitz (as he’s still known back in The Bronx) puts his two passions together to create something special. Last time it was a luggage collection inspired by Ferrari. This time it’s a watch to go with his ’38 Bugatti.
The latest in Lauren’s Sporting Watch collection is styled after the interior of the Atlantic, with an elm burl wood ring emulating the car’s dashboard, galvanized matte black dial with white Arabic numerals like the Bugatti’s gauges, and visible screws around the case front recalling the rivets along the Atlantic’s spine. The movement is crafted for Ralph Lauren by the Richemont group – the same company that makes Cartier,Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai and IWC, to name just a few – and features a 45-hour power reserve.
