The Autodromo Story

“my singular goal is to create beautiful products that express my passion for classic cars and racing history.”

- BRADLEY PRICE, FOUNDER OF AUTODROMO

Bradley Price created Autodromo when he realized around 2008 that there was nowhere to buy affordable automotive watches with beautiful craftsmanship and design. By starting from the simple idea of designing something he wanted to own for himself, he ended up building a cult brand that is beloved by fans and collectors around the globe. Since 2011, Autodromo has become the go-to brand for exquisitely designed motoring watches and accessories.

the beginning

I have a lifelong fascination for cars that really goes back so early in my life that I have no idea when it started. I grew up in a car loving household and remember riding on the transmission tunnel of an old Austin Healey as a small boy.

In addition to my passion for cars, I showed an early aptitude for art and design, which led me to study Industrial Design and History of Art and to purse to a career in product design and branding in New York City. I had a great 10 year career in a fast paced studio environment, which of course taught me so many skills I draw upon daily.

the idea

Living in New York, there wasn't an easy way to be part of a car community. I didn't even own a car for a number of years. And much as I loved product design, it was getting a bit repetitive designing smart phones and appliances over and over. I felt I wasn't able to put any emotional content into the work. I had managed to scrape enough money together to buy a slightly shopworn but rust free Alfa Romeo GTV6. I would take it on day trips around the Hudson Valley. On one such drive, I was going through one of my favorite forest roads, watching the needle dancing on the gauge of the car. The typography on the tachometer was so beautiful I thought how great it would be as a watch. Later that night I got home and started designing my first concepts not knowing it would lead me into a whole new phase in my life and career.

the journey

Autodromo isn't just a lifestyle brand cooked up in some board room. It's something I live and breathe every day. The joy of driving classic cars is a now central aspect of my life, and of so many of our clients' lives. Everything we make is created to enhance the feeling you get behind the wheel, or let you daydream about it when you are stuck in a meeting. Each year, I try to launch something new and unexpected that speaks to what I am excited about. Every product from Autodromo comes from a very personal place.

the process

As a designer, I am always interested in atmosphere. I love cinema and how the director is able to create the feeling of a specific time and place. Yet you also know when the film was made by the aesthetic decisions of the film maker. I like to approach design in a similar way. I seek to create objects that encapsulate a certain time and place. They are never direct copies of historical objects or specific gauges. Rather they are an amalgamation of themes, details, materials etc. that express that time or that source of inspiration. This is what has always set Autodromo apart in the world of automotive watches. It is always filtered through my own sense of nostalgia, and personal memories. And above all, the details are authentic.

the presentation

The watches we create are unique and special pieces with a loving attention to detail. But the stories they tell are enhanced by the attention to packaging and presentation that have become a hallmark of the brand. I look at packaging as an extension of the watch. As a first opening scene or chapter in the story I am telling with that piece. When you open the box, you enter a world of that time and place.

the legends

Our collaborations with racing legends Vic Elford and Brian Redman have been two high points in the brief history of our company. What these two men accomplished in their lives is an inspiration to me and countless racing fans. Working with them to commemorate special moments in their racing careers was an honor, and resulted in some beautiful and highly sought after watches.

the blue oval

When I was approached unexpectedly by Ford NA Design Director Chris Svensson to propose a design concept for the Ford GT official watches, it knocked me out of my chair. Thanks to Chris as a champion and advocate of design at Ford, Autodromo was ultimately appointed the official watch partner for the new Ford GT. We created a collection of watches celebrating the racing heritage of Ford at Le Mans, as well as a bespoke high end customizable watch exclusively available to owners of the Ford GT.

the dream

Vintage racing has been a lifelong dream of mine starting as a kid watching the Brian Redman Challenge at Road America in the 80s. I remember thinking when I grow up, this is what I want to do. I feel so blessed to live out my childhood fantasy every time I put on the helmet. And now to be a sponsor at the Lime Rock Historics, my own home event, is just icing on the cake. Running a 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce really allows me to step back in time and experience something unique that takes me out of my daily life completely. And this in turn informs my work, and reinvigorates my creativity.

WORN & WOUND INTERVIEW