Any purchases made on this website may earn us a small commission, please click if you want to learn more.
Racing inspired watches are nothing new. They were mostly popularised from the 1960s onwards which saw the release of the Rolex Daytona, as well as the Le Mans movie being aired in 1971 which immortalized the Tag Heuer Monaco when it was worn on the wrist of legendary actor Steve Mcqueen.
This trend has not really stopped growing and by now there are many brands that have released car themed watches in one design or another. Thankfully, this is a trend that has grown to all budgets and is no longer just a theme that is followed by Rolex, Omega and Tag Heuer. There are many affordable racing watches from brands such as Invicta, Seiko and Casio – meaning you will not have to spend 4 or 5 figures on a watch if you like this style.
It makes sense for the design of a sports car to also be used as inspiration for a watch. Typically these designs are cool, masculine and unique, making them ideal for something to be worn on your wrist.
In modern day, motorsport watches are typically worn casually for social events and after work hours. However, if they are not too loud and obnoxious, they can also be worn on smart occasians. However, they are not as easy to pull of when compared to a simple dress watch.
Table of Contents
Best Racing Style Watches For Men
Casio Edifice
The ultimate budget choice for men’s racing watches. Casio Edifice are the sponsor for Scuderia AlphaTauri. Whilst this is clearly not the best team in Formula 1 and can’t be compared with the likes of Mercedes, it is still very reputable and will cost a lot of money to sponsor.
It’s no surprise then that Casio Edifice watches look a lot more expensive than they cost. This is pretty much the only budget brand that is involved with motorsport at the highest level, with all of the other players being Swiss luxury watchmakers. It’s not just the aesthetic design you get with an Edifice either, this is a very well made watch by a reputable brand. This watch has a solar movement meaning that you will never have to worry about changing the battery.
Scuderia Ferrari
There are no prizes for guessing who makes this watch. As soon as you see the black horse combined with the striking red dial, you know this could only be Ferrari.
The watch itself is just a standard quartz based chronograph that uses a Japanese miyota movement. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this movement, it is an entry-level caliber that is used in almost every other fashion watch you can think of. This is not to say that Ferrari should be producing luxury level timepieces, but more a forewarning that Ferrari watches are nowhere near the quality of their cars.
In short, you can find much better value watches than this unless you are a superfan of the brand, in which case this watch isn’t badly priced at all.
Citizen Brycen Chronograph
Although the Citizen Brycen chronograph was not made to be an auto inspired watch, it still looks the part. This is because of its different colored subdials, as well as its textured leather strap, which fits all the criteria of a racing watch.
Much like most quartz-based Citizen watches, this model uses an eco-drive movement. If you haven’t heard of this before, it simply means that the watch powers itself by drawing in light rather than relying on a typical lithium battery. This is both better for the environment and also makes your life more convenient as your watch will not stop every 3 years.
Bulova Chronograph A
Bulova are not the first brand that comes to mind when you think of motorsport. However, they show that the brand has a full range of diverse watches with their chronograph A model. This watch is somewhat expensive given the specifications since many Bulova watches (including this) are no longer Swiss-made.
The classic 2-subdials are reminiscent of old school chronograph watches since 3 subdials are more of a modern movement and not 100% necessary. Overall, the watch has a typical racing style theme throughout which is rounded off by a bright orange silicone strap. Admittedly, this won’t be for everyone, but will certainly suit the style of some people.
Lamborghini
Unmistakeably cool. Lamborghini are a manufacturer of luxury supercars but also makes watches in a style that is equally as unique. Quite simply, you will never find another watch quite like a Lamborghini.
Like many other racing inspired watches, this Lamborghini timepiece will have a love or hate effect on you. Some people will enjoy the original design, whereas others may think it is loud and garish.
To summarise, Lamborghini watches are very expensive for the specifications you are getting. They do however use a Swiss quartz movement, which is better than the Miyota standard found in many other racing watches, but certainly not superior to other Swiss brands such as Tissot.
Tissot T-Race
The T-Race is a classic design within the Tissot brand that has various special edition models, as well as mass produced standard watches. Although this series is not based on cars as such, it is still heavily rooted in motorsport and leans towards motorcycle racing.
As with all Tissot watches, you are getting a certain level of quality that fashion brands cannot quite match up to. The T-Race has a very unique case shape with the chronograph pushers not extending from the body of the watch like most other designs. This gives the Tissot T-Race a true size of 43mm, rather than something that extends over the sides of your wrist.
Certina Podium Precidrive
One of the most precise quartz watches you can buy. This is not just a cool car watch, but also a chronograph with a GMT function. In all honesty, this is one of the most complicated racing watches you can buy but is also available for a fairly low price.
On the whole, Certina watches are usually somewhat unremarkable. However, the podium series is very well designed, fashionable and modern. As well as this, it is made to a fairly high standard and not too expensive.
Vostok Team Samurai
An unusual pairing, Vostok have teamed up with motorcyle team samurai to make a very stylish racing chronograph. If you aren’t familiar with Vostok, they are one of the best Russian watchmakers and are well regarded for making very solid timepieces.
Disappointingly, this watch uses a Japanese quartz movement instead of a Russian mechanical one. Vostok really missed the goal here and could have made a classic watch instead of something rather generic. This watch is a little on the expensive side given the specifications, but will definitely appeal to Russian watch enthusiasts.
Invicta S1
Invicta is well known for producing oversized watches and the model is no different. With a case size of 48mm, you aren’t going to find too many racing style watches that are bigger than this.
The main selling point about Invicta watches is the fact that they are so inexpensive. Even though they use similar movements and finishes to fashion watches, they are often priced far lower. This racing style chronograph watch is available for under $100, which is pretty good value, especially when compared with other brands.
Seiko
You know what you are getting when buying a Seiko watch. This brand is known for producing very good value for money watches that will just keep going no matter the circumstances. This Seiko racing watch is a little more flashy and stylish than a typical watch made by the brand, which mostly just stick to the basics.
Making good use of yellow seconds hands as well as lumed regular hands, this watch is easily visible under almost any light despite having a dark blue dial. Whilst this is not the absolute cheapest racing watch you can buy, it is one of the best value for money.
TW Steel M1
A very reasonably priced watch. The TW Steel M1 is a racing chronograph made by the brand in a typical oversized fashion. In fairness to TW Steel, this watch has a 45mm case size, which is somewhat on the small side when compared to their other models.
The watch has a very large riveted steel bezel alongside a textured dial which is very suited towards a racing style theme. For under $150, this watch is really good value and quite a lot cheaper than other racing chronographs.
Tag Heuer Formula 1
Steeped in Formula 1 history, Tag Heuer is a brand that was there at the start of advertising in motor sports and is still there today. It could be argued that Tag Heuer is the original brand that started the watch industries association with F1 after the Tag Heuer Monaco became so popular.
It comes as no real surprise then, that the brand has a range of watches known as the Formula 1 series. In all honesty, these watches are a little overpriced for what you’re getting. Essentially they are a stainless steel watch that uses a quartz movement. Albeit, they are made in Switzerland, but really aren’t anything too special. However, much of this is disregarded by almost anyone who wears a Tag Heuer since they know the brand has a rich history and makes good quality watches.
Frederique Constant Healey
This is one of the most affordable automatic racing style chronograph watches you can buy. With that being said, it costs almost $2000. But for a Swiss-made chronograph, this really isn’t bad value and you cannot find much else for this price. This is especially true if you’re looking for a vintage style racing chronograph – as many brands opt for a more modern design approach.
Frederique Constant is certainly not a watchmaker known for racing watches. The Swiss watchmaker are best associated with traditional dress watches, so it is nice to see a well thought out racing chronograph thrown into the mix. The use of a rose gold plated case is also welcome since stainless steel is all too common amongst racing themed watches.
