The love affair between watches and cars is only just revving up

Oriol Vilanova was reading a biography of British watchmaker George Daniels when the idea struck him. What captured his imagination was not the horologist’s explanation of the Co-Axial escapement, but Daniels’ extraordinary passion for motorcars. The personal garage of the Isle of Man watchmaker included a 1929 “Birkin” Bentley and a 1907 Daimler as part of a collection that was eventually auctioned for almost £10  million. “I thought, ‘Wow, I’m not the only one to mix these two passions’,” Vilanova recalls.

The Spaniard describes himself as a “car guy who loves watches”, having enjoyed a long career in automobile design working primarily on exteriors for brands that include Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Mitsubishi before moving into a seven-year consulting role at Ferrari. But his fascination with watches is also obsessive. Realising he was not alone in his dual interest, Vilanova decided to compile a book that interviews 50 prominent subjects from both industries about their favourite cars and watches.