The 'E' Type Forum

Just spotted this - a modern mechanical movement watch with the face of an E-Type speedometer. The crown is designed to look like the oil filler cap and the odometer shows the year 1961 for S1 version 1971 for S3. It is available with a 'box' in the shape of a piston.



Made by Bavarian Crono Technology: http://www.bavarian-crono.de/bc/index.html using an ETA 2824-2 movement and retails at ?490 in S1 and S3 editions though the 'piston' style box is extra. Nice high quality watch which would be a great present for an E-Type owner. Pity they do not supply a Dunlop tread rubber strap to go with it.

There is one for sale on eBay at the moment: http://tinyurl.com/ogkbje

Just had an email from Elisabeth at Bavarian Crono Technology and she tells me these watches can be supplied with a tyre tread pattern rubber strap on request. She also sent me these two pictures:

The S1 version showing '6' cylinders and '1961' on the odometer. The S3 version showing '12' cylinders and '1971' on the odometer


The ETA 2824 movement (note the oil filler cap crown)


The bezel can be smooth or grooved on either model. You may even be able to get Elisabeth to put the actual year of your car on the odometer if you ask: info@bavarian-crono-technology.de

A black PVD version with a rubber tyre strap would be the ultimate version I reckon.

It seems others are looking for more authentic features than a simple Dunlop tread strap. Suggestions from Jag-Lovers are:

1. Oil leak
2. Occasional electrical problems
3. Wobbling hand at 60 mph
4. Dial unreadable at night
5. Crystal fogging up for the first 20 min... sorry miles per hour.
6. Puff of smoke occasionally
7. Smell like old fuel and leather

And Bill Malloy wants to know if there is a ?30 electronic version for Challenger owners? :D

But how do you tell the time? 110 past 50 o'clock? Does look rather nifty...not sure about the tyre tread strap though!!

Nice indeed,

oh, almost forgot to ask...is it powered by Lucas ?

The more I look at the E-Type watch the more I like it and it certainly is a talking point. It would make a good birthday/Christmas/anniversary present for an E-Type owner and is going to be extraordinarily rare. It is also very good value when the Chopard Mille Miglia, Panerai Ferrari, Breitling Bentley, Chronoswiss, Tag-Heuer, Graham and other car related watches sell for ?3,000+ and have a very similar mechanical movement. The Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement is also used by several makes including Auguste Reymond, Cartier, Dugena, Eterna, Festina, Fortis, Gaddy's, Kienzle, Maurice Lacroix, MHR, Motochron, Oris, Rolex (Tudor), Schwarz-Etienne, TAG-Heuer and Tissot to name a few. So one to buy, keep with the car and pass on to the next generation! My watch collection already includes these two:

The 'Jo Siffert' Autavia (1969)


The 'Steve McQueen' Monaco (1971)


Plus a number of other Heuer sports watches made before TAG took them over in 1986. Anyone else have any interesting watches they care to share?

David,

Can't add to the watch collection i'm afraid as most of my watches end up trashed after about 1-2 years as I never take them off! As such, they usually get crunched when I'm working on an engine or some other tight spot or covered in weld spatter which embeds itself into the best crystal glass!

As a result of all this I now only buy cheapish watches but I do like the look of these.

I have followed your suggestion that they may be able to customise the readouts on the face and contacted Elisabeth but she has told me that this is not possible, so no go. Still, Its my birthday in August so will start dropping hints to the girlfriend!

Ian

I must admit to love the Heuer brand, but mines are more modern ,Tag era, like you David I own an Autavia, a Monaco, blue dial indeed !! and a titanium chronograph that I bought in 1991, but cannot find many details about it, I'm still waiting for information from TagHeuer.

Two good web site about Heuer : www.vintageheuer.com www.onthedash.com

And this Bavarian-Chrono is really tempting !!

Thierry

I love those speedometer watches! I like the Heuer photos, too.

Cartier has a "Roadster" line. Last year, they hired my '66 for a party in Miami for it's introduction. Of course, they can get kinda pricey.
http://tinyurl.com/p2bakk

Heuer (no relation :)) have just announced the 40th Anniversary Monaco which uses the same movement as the original (with the winder on the left hand side, no TAG logo) and same dial. It costs ?6,500 and is limited to 1,000 copies, only 70 of which are coming to the UK - all pre-ordered I believe unless you are very lucky to find one not reserved.

Another new car related watch but with a tyre tread rubber strap - the Graham Silverstone Woodcote:



However Heuer first used the name Silverstone on a watch in 1972. This is mine in its original crash helmet case and original plum red leather strap. This watch was awarded as a first prize to a racing driver at a Heuer sponsored race at Silverstone in 1972 and then spent most of its life in Australia. The Heuer helmet cases were made for shop display only because of their cost so its is extremely rare to find one with a watch. One of my favourites:

We should stop here !!
I'm totally green !!!

Thierry

Final two watches in my old Heuer collection:

Autavia GMT (1969)


Bundeswehr (military) Chronograph (1967). The dial bears the 3H symbol indicating the use of Tritium, the radioactive isotope of Hydrogen, on the dial and hands to make them luminous!


I bought all these Heuer watches years ago on eBay when nobody really wanted them.

On the wish list of every petrolhead and watch collector must be the iconic Rolex Daytona Cosmograph. If you only have one watch this has surely got to be it - rugged, waterproof, rare and wearable with jeans or a suit it is not surprising it has reached cult status. Rolex was a sponsor of the 24 Hours of Daytona race at the time, and named its new chronograph watch after that famous race. It was first released in 1961 with a Valjoux then, in 1988, with the legendary Zenith El Primero movement and continued in production. In 2000 Rolex replaced the El Primero movement with one of its own design and the watch continues to be produced looking much the same. Available in stainless steel, bi-metal (gold and steel), solid gold or platinum with a range of dials it is perhaps surprising to learn the cheapest (stainless steel) model is the one to own. Walk out of the Rolex dealer with your stainless steel Daytona and its value will double, do it with one of its more expensive precious metal brothers and the value will halve. Why? - Rolex severely limits the production of the stainless steel variant which means there is a four to seven year waiting list from an Authorised Dealer. Those who cannot wait have to go to the grey market and pay a large premium, but only on the steel with black or white dial. This is my 1997 example:



So if you have a significant birthday coming up get your order in now!

Just my two cents but the Chopard mille miglia with rubber dunlop thread strap is a nice one too !!!

Ok,ok , I am a little biassed as that is about the only watch I own :)

cheers
Erik

PS I love the jaguar e watch as well !

Hello,
I just have a bavarianchrono watch and I'm very happy with it.
Please note there are now two models: "mechanical/automatical movement, price 490 Euro. The second serie is all the same, but with a quartz movement and less option to choose" and cost 199euro, wrote me Elisabeth.
I took the second version, I must confess my e type is not finished and I have to planify some expenses on it.

http://www.bavarian-chrono.de/

The headlamps dial would have to be blue instead of red on the serie 1 model, and I asked if they can change it, but the answer was no, without great expenses; So "we" know that and I hope that never in the future, someone will notice this "big" detail.
:bye:

Congratulations! It is a very nice watch and I doubt anyone will notice the red main beam opal - in fact Jaguar only changed it to blue because some less literate owners panicked there was something wrong with the car when it came on Did you go for the smooth or grooved bezel and the piston safe?

I think we need the obligatory wrist shot with you holding the steering wheel or at the very least a picture of watch and car together

David,

The back of the E-Type watch is similar to my Tag Heuer. A Calibre 36 Link. Very nice watch but I hardly ever wear it and because its a lot larger than my normal Seiko chrono I keep clobbering things with it, not a scratch on though.

Dave

Hello David,
Thank you for the comment: I won't forget it especially if I met that kind of person who will be so proud to notice a "blue mistake"
Do you mean first e types where with a red main beam opal , or the red dials were put on other models of jaguars before the coming of the E type?

I took the grooved bezel (i prefer it, even if there is no choice with the quartz version). There is no piston box with this version (but I don't think it's a challenger version :) )
I won't be able to post a picture with the steering wheel or the car herself before some months, because they are still together in the bodyshop place, 500miles from me, but I will post soon a picture of the watch and his box.
Hello Dave,
Yes, the watch is large especially for me, who don't wear any watch for the last 20 years; I would add that to read hour is not "simple" but, I didn't take it for that common aim

"Do you mean first e types where with a red main beam opal , or the red dials were put on other models of jaguars before the coming of the E type? "

The early 3.8 E-Type's had the red main beam opal, later changed to blue after owners complained it was confusing to have the adjacent dynamo failure opal the same colour. Caused a few heart stopping moments apparently!