Full throttle: The best driving watches for men

31 March 2017 • Written by Simon de Burton

Have a need for speed? You may have one of the world's fastest superyacht tenders for thrills on the waves but back on land it's the racetrack that calls to most speed freaks - and that means investing in one of the best motorsport-inspired watches. Here are the best driving watches for men to invest in now.

Breitling for Bentley B06 Midnight Carbon

Breitling for Bentley B06 Midnight Carbon

The B06 Midnight Carbon combines a DLC- treated steel case with a dark mother-of-pearl dial. The B06 movement features a 30 second chronograph, while the rotating inner bezel serves as a circular slide rule. Bentley nods include a “radiator grille” dial pattern. Just 500 are available.

Case: Steel, 49mm

Strap: Leather

Movement: Calibre B06

Waterproof: 100 metres

Limited edition: 500

Price: £10,260, breitling.com

Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 HERO Cup edition

Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969 HERO Cup edition

Zenith has teamed up with the UK-based Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation (HERO) to be of cial timekeeper of the HERO Cup. To mark the partnership, Zenith has released 100 examples of this special chronograph incorporating the HERO logo into the 12 hour counter at six o’clock.

Case: Steel, 42mm

Strap: Alligator

Movement: El Primero 4061 automatic

Waterproof: 100 metres

Limited edition: 100

Price: £7,000 (approx), zenith-watches.com

REC P-51-02

REC P-51-02

REC is a young Danish brand that recycles fragments of classic cars into its designs. The P-51 has a dial made from a piece of a 1966 Ford Mustang and time and power reserve displays based on the car’s instruments. There’s a Miyota automatic movement inside and each watch links to a video of the car it was created from.

Case: Steel, 44mm

Strap: Calf leather

Movement: Miyota 9130

Waterproof: 30 metres

Price: £1,250, recwatches.com

Bremont Jaguar MKI

Bremont Jaguar MKI

British brand Bremont has paid tribute to Jaguar’s E-Type with a range of watches. The MKI features a 43mm hardened steel case containing Bremont’s proprietary BWC/01 self-winding movement. The dial layout is inspired by an E-Type rev counter and the winding rotor is in the form of an exquisite miniaturisation of the car’s steering wheel.

Case: Steel, 43mm

Strap: Calf leather

Movement: BWC/01 self-winding

Waterproof: 100 metres

Price: £8,395, bremont.com

Omega Seamaster Bullhead

Omega Seamaster Bullhead

If groovy 70s watches are your bag, you’ll love this reincarnation of Omega’s famous Seamaster Bullhead. Unveiled in 1969, the chronograph got its name from its distinctive case, in which the winding crown and push pieces are positioned at 12 o’clock. The new version is almost identical, even down to the secondary crown for adjusting the inner bezel.

Case: Steel, 43mm

Strap: Leather

Movement: Omega 3113 self-winding chronograph

Waterproof: 150 metres

Limited edition: 669

Price: £6,400, omegawatches.com

Drive de Cartier

Drive de Cartier

Since its launch in 2016, the Drive de Cartier range has been a smash hit for the French design house. This popular time and date model is an undeniably handsome watch with a 40mm by 41mm cushion-shaped steel case containing the maker’s 1904 MC self-winding movement, which can be seen through a sapphire crystal back.

Case: Steel, 40x41mm

Strap: Leather

Movement: 1904 MC self-winding

Waterproof: 30 metres

Price: £5,000, cartier.co.uk

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