The Scuderia Veloce from Blasta Watch offers a completely new approach on combining automotive forms with watch design. Its modular concept allows changing the case to modify the look of the watch. The startup is based in Biel Bienne, the heart of the Swiss watch industry.
Several brands produce watches which they claim being inspired by car design. «With a few exceptions, this means a car logo on the dial or a strap with a tyre pattern. I was really bored by these watches on the market» says co-founder and watch professional Hans. «Blasta Watch wants to change that.»
With its first model Scuderia Veloce, Blasta Watch will set a mark in the watch world with real automotive design and forms.
Photo taken on the gar lever of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
An experienced team of professionals
The four founders live and work in the world-famous watch capital Biel Bienne and are friends for many years. Each of them has a long and strong background in the watch and jewellery business or in automotive design.
Fabian, goldsmith, and Heiko, automotive designer and design professor, founded their jewellery company Blasta some years ago offering bold rings in precious metals with extraordinary gemstones, based on their interpretations of iconic car designs. They exhibited and sold them successfully in hot spots like Beverly Hills, Pebble Beach or Gstaad.
Photo taken on the steering wheel of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
«Why don’t we create watches with these design ideas?» Hans suggested when they showed him their creations. «And I know exactly the partner we need for that!» Claude, CEO of a high-end boutique watch brand and a highly experienced and skilled master watchmaker, engineer and conceptual designer joins the team.
«We all have good jobs and stable situations and we don’t really need another company beside that. But everyone around us – a lot of watch pros among them – was so enthusiastic when we showed them the concept that we decided: let’s go for it and have fun!» adds Heiko. They created the company Blasta Watch Ltd. and now present their first model.
Photo taken on the front of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
Automotive forms
The automotive approach is already evident in the design of the construction. Like a car, the Scuderia Veloce consists of a «Chassis» with the movement, the glass and the crown in a waterproof container of stainless steel.
Photo taken on the console of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
On top of that, the bodyworks (the «carrozzeria») parts are fixed by several custom designed screws. The three parts – one on the top, three on the back – can be easily exchanged using a special screwdriver which is delivered with the watch. This allows the owner to change the look of his watch by just exchanging the differently executed body parts, in brushed stainless steel or with black or red high tech coatings. A quite special model is the «Silver Arrow», sanded by hand with visible marks like the legendary Silberpfeil race cars in the old racing days. These are available separately or as complete set. No watchmaker skills are necessary, the modular system is very easy to use.
The unique diffuser on the back of the watch.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
Inspiration from the golden era of car design
The design of the Scuderia Veloce is visibly inspired by the gorgeous creations of the golden era of Italian car design in the sixties and the seventies. Iconic cars from Bertone, Pininfarina, Giugiaro like the mighty Miura, Montreal, Ghibli, Daytona, Dino, Stratos, Iso Grifo with their unparalleled combination of timeless forms paired with powerful engines.
Photo taken on the front of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
A true world first is the diffuser on the back of the watch. It’s the cool interpretation of that aerodynamic component that can be seen on many sophisticated sports cars these days. The diffuser is one of the elements that really makes the Scuderia Veloce stand out of the crowd.
Photo taken on the hood of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
Professionally built in Biel Bienne, Switzerland
As the crew of Blasta Watch sums up almost 100 years of experience in the watch industry, there is an absolute no-nonsense and no-compromise approach on the production side. The entry version is powered by a Swiss quartz movement, the mechanical version by the self-winding legendary ETA 2824-2, one of the best Swiss-made serial movements on the market.
The components for the case are manufactured by a Swiss-Chinese company who works for many big Swiss brands. All case parts are in stainless steel, the glass is a sapphire crystal. The custom made watch straps and buckle come from one of the leading Swiss strap companies.
Photo taken on the hood of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
The complete assembly and the meticulous quality control is executed in Biel Bienne, Switzerland.
The Scuderia Veloce will be launched by Blasta Watch with a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in October 2019 with introductory prices starting from CHF 780.- for the quartz-version.
Photo taken in the interior of a Alfa Romeo Montreal.
©2019 Blasta Watch Ltd. All Rights reserved.
Blasta Watch – The collection
Scuderia Veloce Automatica
Self-winding Swiss movement ETA 2824-2, steel case, sapphire crystal.
Interchangeable «carrozzeria» case parts. Black PVD-coatings on bezel
Dimensions: width 45 mm | length (lug to lug) 55 mm | height 14 mm
Nero profondo automatica: Black as it can be. The steel carrozzerria is treated with a black high-tech PVD-coating. The red stitching on the strap makes a excellent contrast. Subtle. Mysterious. Fast.
Rosso scuderia automatica: Red as a true Italian sportscar has to be. The carrozzeria gets a red enamel coating, deep and brilliant. The red stitching on the strap matches. Extravagant.
Argento automatica: The more discrete version. The carrozzeria has a wonderfully blasted finish, accentuating its lines in a subtle way. Elegant. Cool. For the gentleman.
Silver Arrow automatica: Inspired by the legendary story of the silver arrows. Each carrozzeria is sanded by hand, resulting in a unique used look. Rough. Masculine. Bold.
Prices: from CHF 2750.- Introductory prices for Kickstarter-backers: from CHF 1380.-
Scuderia Veloce Quartz
Swiss Quartz movement, steel case, sapphire crystal.
Interchangeable «carrozzeria» case parts.
Dimensions: width 45 mm | length (lug to lug) 55 mm | height 14 mm
Nero profondo: Black as it can be. The steel carrozzerria is treated with a black high-tech PVD-coating. The red stitching on the strap makes a excellent contrast. Subtle. Mysterious. Fast.
Rosso scuderia: Red as a true Italian sportscar has to be. The carrozzeria gets a red enamel coating, deep and brilliant. The red stitching on the strap matches. Extravagant.
Argento: The more discrete version. The carrozzeria has a wonderfully blasted finish, accentuating its lines in a subtle way. Elegant. Cool. For the gentleman.
Silver Arrow: Inspired by the legendary story of the silver arrows. Each carrozzeria is sanded by hand, resulting in a unique used look. Rough. Masculine. Bold.
Prices: from CHF 1450.- / Introductory prices for Kickstarter-backers: from CHF 780.-
I think you might research an option from wayback. The Omega had a racing driver/car option where the watch was worn on the left wrist…underhand. I bought one , called the Omega Chronostop…with variants within that name. I had it repaired, cleaned and serviced …a mechanical watch. I put a picture in the last day or so on twitter as beachhutman (Tim Baber). You probably know all about this market decision and its fate in the automative associated market…but whatever thought Omega gave to this variant you surely can improve upon, even if it is to reject the idea. My money is on whatever works in this day and age. When I went to the prestigious German car museum last yearI could see how much money is geared to what is really a high end fetish. And yet how disappointing the offers were for the prices shown and the industry’s width and depth reaching back to our communities of old. I say that as the owner of a Tissot pocket watch over 100 years old that auto racer Walter Handley gave my grandfather and which the makers have shared the data they have on that for its historic interest. There is no shortage of image and imagineering that you still can do and I think you should try to supplant the giants in your industry becaause every dog has its day, and your website shows you at least consider the options available to an aspiring player in a race all of its own.
Hi Tim,
Thank you for your comment in inside info. I am familiar with the Chronostop.
As a modern substitute, I think of Singer watches (e.g: https://watchilove.com/singer-track1-emirates-edition-launch-during-dubai-watch-week-2019 )
Cheers,
Andrei