Vintage watches are so hot right now, but there’s no getting around the fact that prices have risen across the board. The exceptional stuff has skyrocketed into the nigh unattainable territory and even watches considered “accessible” are growing more expensive. For enthusiasts with Rolex tastes on a Timex budget, it can be frustrating, but we thankfully have microbrands like Dan Henry out there that do their damndest to stuff the charm and vibes of vintage pieces into accessible, brand new watches.
Which brings us to Dan Henry’s latest watch, the 1964 Gran Turismo. As the name suggests, the timepiece is inspired by the ’60s-era chronographs popular within the racing scene of the era. More specifically, it seems to take a lot of inspiration from the Heuer Carrera. The clean, two-tone dial designs. The slim, 38mm case. The “beads-of-rice bracelet. They’re all beloved design details plucked from the 1960s.
Powering the watch is a modern caliber: Seiko’s VK63, a “mecha-quartz” chronograph movement. The mecha-quartz is something of an oddball in the industry, but it pairs the look and feel of a mechanical chronograph with the accuracy, reliability and low-cost of a quartz movement. And since it’s being used in place of a purely mechanical chronograph movement, it means the Gran Turismo is very accessible at just $250.
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