Vertex celebrates 50 years of Caterham 7 with limited-edition watch

Don Cochrane hit on an unusual marketing method when he decided to re-establish the historic British watchmaker Vertex a whole century after it was set up in 1916 by his great grandfather, Claude Lyons.

Cochrane initially invited 60 specific individuals to become owners, giving them a purchase code that enabled them to buy the hand-wound M100 launch model through the firm’s website. Each buyer was then entitled to invite five further individuals, all of whom could invite one more person – beyond which only owners of original Vertex watches or military personnel could apply.

It was odd, but it worked, establishing the foundation from which Cochrane has since been able to develop the modern-day Vertex into a well-regarded dial name specialising in interpretations of the type of military watches it made between the late 1940s and 1970s, after which the original business shut down.

The line-up now includes automatic versions of the M100 in either plain or blackened steel; the MP45 single-button chronograph with a choice of hand-wound or automatic movements and the high-specification AquaLion dive watch.

Before he got into the watch game, however, Cochrane was heavily involved in the automotive world, variously working for Tesla, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin – through which he has developed an enviable list of car-world contacts that last year led to Vertex becoming the title sponsor of the Caterham Roadsport Championship.

Caterham Cars was originally a leading Lotus 7 dealer before company founder Graham Nearn acquired the rights to the design from Lotus boss Colin Chapman in 1973, after Chapman decided to stop building the now-celebrated seat-of-the-pants sports car.

The following year Caterham built its first 7s, inset, and now, to help mark these milestones, Vertex has produced this limited-edition watch based on the MP45.

The MP45 C50 differs from the regular version in having a tachymeter scale printed around the edge of the dial for speed and distance calculations plus the distinctive ‘Caterham 50’ logo at the six o’clock position.

The main hands, central seconds hand and subdial indicators, meanwhile, are finished in Caterham’s signature acid green and the sapphire crystal back of each of the 50 available watches carries its unique edition number.

As well as being delivered in useful, custom-made Pelican waterproof cases, the watches are supplied with a trio of straps – one in vintage-look leather, one in rubber and a third that’s made from fabric.

With almost 25,000 Caterham 7s sold since production began it seems unlikely that the 50 available Vertex MP45 C50s are going to hang around for long, and any that subsequently appear on the pre-owned market may well command a premium.

So if you’re a Caterham fan, check out the Vertex website asap. Or take a wind-in-the-hair drive to the brand’s recently opened and decidedly bijoux boutique at Shepherd Market in London’s Mayfair.

Vertex MP45 C50, £3450.
vertex-watches.com

IWC is well known for its aviation-inspired watches, but it is also a partner of both Mercedes F1 and AMG. The brand chose November’s Las Vegas GP to unveil a brace of watches dedicated to the partnerships, with the one here being the AMG version. It features a case made from lightweight titanium – a material IWC pioneered in watchmaking in 1980 – and is powered by the brand’s 242-part 69385 chronograph movement. It can be had on a matching titanium bracelet or a black rubber strap.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG, from £8650.
iwc.com

L’Epee is a Swiss maker of mechanical marvels that brings true art to the science of horology and, at the end of 2023, its Time Fast II in chrome won the mechanical clock prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. It takes the form of a 1950s racing car with a driver’s seat containing a mechanical clock wound by an ignition key that also winds a separate movement to power an animation of the V8 engine. An ingenious ‘gearbox’ makes it possible to choose which of the two movements the key connects to.

L’Epee 1839 Time Fast II, £30,730.
lepee1839.ch

Precision is written by renowned luxury goods specialist Simon de Burton