A pair of watchmakers have an interesting new business plan — they take parts from your old car and turn them into high-end watches.
Christian Mygh and Jonathan Kamstrup founded their company on the principles of recover, recycle, and reclaim. It's why they named the company REC Watches, although I thought it was because they were sourcing old wrecks.
The designers are very careful with their selection process. While they want to salvage iconic cars, they want vehicles with a story, something 30 to 60 years old. They actually track down the former owners to learn how the car played a role in their lives.
They've made watches out of old Mini Coopers, Porsche 911s, as well as a line made from old Ford Mustangs. Many products are inspired by vintage designs, but this is unique in that they are recycling the old car parts to fabricate each watch's internal components. They even keep much of the original patina for the watch's face, which also includes the vehicle's VIN, and the year it was manufactured.
In a recent trip to Sweden, the guys found a rare 1966 Raven Black Mustang that they used to create their P51-04 collection of 250 watches. While many people see a pile of scrap metal that sat in their father's garage for far too long, they see a "soul of a car and a story that needs to be told." That is according to co-founder Christian Mygh who adds that he's not just cutting up Mustangs," but "bringing Mustangs that are beyond repair back to life.” And in the process, hopefully turning a lucrative profit, as each timepiece costs $1,495.
Right now, you can vote on their next project, and it's not limited to cars this time. The finalists include an Alfa Romeo Duetto, a Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, a BMW M3 E30, a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, and a Willys Jeep.