Marie de Pimodan
As a child, I often heard my father say that he didn’t particularly like cars, but that he could appreciate beautiful designs. He certainly wouldn’t have been indifferent to the retro elegance of Ralph Lauren’s famous 1938 Bugatti Type 57sc Altantic Coupe, which served as the inspiration for the brand’s Automotive chronograph. Like father, like daughter – on my wrist, its bezel made of Amboyna burl, a very rare material, recalls the steering wheel of the famous sedan, while its black dial with two chronograph counters, luminescent hands and hour markers evokes the dashboard of the vintage car. The six screws on the bezel recall the distinctive rivets of one of most famous cars in Ralph Lauren’s personal car collection. All these references to the design of this legendary car will be appreciated by performance-oriented aesthetes, especially since the watch’s blackened steel cover is powered by an exceptional engine, the RL650 automatic winding movement.
Brice Lechevalier
Ralph Lauren evokes a whole universe ranging from fashion to yachting, polo, travel and automobiles, which can also be found in their watches that also convey these themes. With the Automotive collection, it is hard not to imagine oneself behind the wheel of a beautiful coupe of yesteryear, especially in this automatic chronograph version with a bezel made of rosewood, a special type of wood used in the interiors of luxury cars. This design choice makes this Ralph Lauren watch instantly recognizable. The luminescent hands and sand-coloured numerals stand out clearly against the black dial, making it easy to read the time and the chronograph counters. But its already time to pass it on to another member of my team!
Sophie Furley
I remember clearly when I saw the Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph for the very first time. It was in 2008, back when the Geneva watch fair was still called the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH to those in the business. I remember clearly being totally struck by its unusual design with its Amboyna burl bezel that reminded me of the dashboard of my grandfather’s Jaguar when I was a child. Fourteen years later, looking at this watch sitting on my desk, I find myself equally impressed, perhaps even more so, as this timepiece looks as good today as it did back then, proving that Ralph Lauren knows a thing or two about design! It is not quite the same as in 2008, as it now has a new exclusive automatic chronograph movement – the Calibre RL650 – made for the brand by the Manufacture Horlogère ValFleurier of Richemont Group. The timepiece comes in a 42mm polished black stainless-steel case and features a dial with large luminescent numerals, and the RL logo at 12 o’clock. It's chronograph mechanism uses the two-pusher system and indicates the elapsed 12 hours at nine o’clock, and 30-minutes at three o’clock. I don’t know how long it takes to create a design icon, but for me, this timepiece is already there!
Jean-Christophe Teigner
For my day with the Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph, I felt like a gentleman driver with the wind in my hair, driving down the 101 from San Francisco to Los Angeles with this timepiece on my wrist. The finishing is first-class and the design is particularly elegant. This watch definitely has a warm soul with its Amboyna burl bezel! It has energy to spare with a new engine designed by ValFleurier under the dial, which will take you far. With its Chronograph function, you can measure your speed as well as the time that passes. So, when you stop at Pebble Beach, between Carmel and Monterey, with your vintage car and your Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph, collectors will only have eyes for you!
