Three racing-inspired watches, ideal for motorheads and those who can’t drive alike

Spying the opportunity for an easy win and convincing the staff to let me drive the smaller karts, I took on several under-10s. Alas, it was an utter disgrace. Not only was I getting lapped by children but my accelerator leg gave way and I kept going in circles. It was Slow & Ridiculous: Kowloon Drift. With the entire speedway watching, and laughing, my shame was compounded by having to high-five all the kids who finished ahead of me out of some arcane sense of sportsmanship.

My ego is rather fragile right now, but I console myself in the knowledge that under-10s know nothing about watches. And this week’s column is about motor racing-influenced watches as once again I was hoping to link the theme to a victory that never came.

We’ll start with one of the latest addi­tions to Chopard’s Mille Miglia line, the Classic Chronograph Zagato 100th Anniversary edition (above). A tribute to Zagato, the Italian car design company that has created iconic silhouettes for the likes of Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin, the watch has been created to be gawped at in an undignified manner. The deep red of the sunburst dial is a not-so-subtle nod to classic Alfa Romeo sports cars but Chopard has elevated things with the recurring “Z” pattern.

Racing motifs on watches can veer towards the tacky or gimmicky but, with this piece, Chopard has walked the fine line and I’m a big fan of the racing-wheel etch­ing on top of the crown. The 42mm steel watch, which is limited to 100 pieces, features the chrono­graph of the name as well as a date indica­tor. The leather strap comes with a sporty “bund” attachment, which comes off easily for an elegant evening look.

The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres(COSC) certified ETA 2894-2 movement is visible through the clear caseback. Yes, it is an ETA movement, so perhaps the expectation would be a reasonable price. Alas, that’s not the case, with the price tag reading HK$53,000 (US$6,775).