10 of the best racing watches
We've mostly tried to avoid the ones that cost more than your motor
With the F1 British Grand Prix tomorrow, our thoughts are turning to the classic racing watch. Here’s 10 of our favourite watches to be seen wearing at Silverstone…
Meccaniche Veloci Quattro Valvole Modificato A
£3175
It began with a piston and ended up this beauty from Meccaniche Veloci. With four valves for high precision dials, justify the price by telling yourself you’re getting four times the style in one watch.
Tissot Racing-Touch
£395
The Racing-Touch is the new kid on the block but with its bright orange strap, logbook for recording lap times and scratch-resistant touchscreen, we’ll bet it’s a future classic. Just don’t ask us why it has a tide calculator.
Tag Heuer Monaco Steve McQueen
£3600
The stereotypical motorsport enthusiast’s watch – but how could we leave it out? An iconic chronograph, subtly evolved from the original worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans. Don’t feel you need to be as butch as Steve to wear it. Frankly, no one is.
Lucien Piccard Stratosphere Dual Face
£855
If you want to keep your eyes on the road at all times and you don’t have over £100,000 to spare, your best bet for a true “driving watch” is the LP Stratosphere. It’s dual faced which means you won’t need to move your wrist whilst your hands are on the wheel. Genius.
Chopard Mille Miglia
£2960
This is a watch for the sophisticated racer – the kind who insists his opponent starts before he does but still wins. The rubber strap is inspired by 1950s-era Dunlop tyres, not just any old tread.
Lambretta Luigi Motor Racing
£150
Sometimes you just want to know how fast you’re getting around the track without blowing a fortune on your wristwear, and the Luigi does precisely that. Compared to the others, this is the “value” option with just a chronograph stopwatch to keep you company in the car.
Breitling for Bentley GT Racing
£6390
What? You didn’t think a watch with the word Bentley in the title would come cheap did you? It has a silhouette of the Bentley Continental on the reverse for a start. Our tip: get the vehicle first. You don’t want other drivers thinking you’re a phoney.
Giuliano Mazzuoli Contagiri Steel
£8950
You can tell that the watchmakers over at Giuliano Mazzuoli know a thing about cars. The limited-edition Contagiri watch has an hour hand which pings back to the start once it has completed the 270 degrees around the dial to 12 o’clock. So it should look just right inches away from your dashboard.
Oris Williams F1 Team Skeleton
£920
This high-tech-looking watch from Swiss watchmakers Oris is endorsed by Williams F1, but it’s the skeleton dial revealing the timepiece’s “engine” that really gives it that fresh-from-the-pitlane feel.
Graham Silverstone Stowe Gulf
£4995
Plenty of racing circuits have been the inspiration for luxury watches and so it’s no surprise that Silverstone inspired a whole collection from Graham. This watch is named after one of the most dangerous turns on the circuit and is extra large for easy at-wheel reading.
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Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
