Sold-out Autodromo Monoposto watch returns with an iconic motorsport partner

More than a decade on from the launch of the original Monoposto, motoring watchmaker Autodromo is back with a reissue – and it’s sure to sell out just as quickly.

The original landed back in 2012 and all 250 examples promptly sold out. Now, some 13 years later, Uthe US firm has relaunched the Monoposto, and this time, the watch marks a partnership with Mobil 1.

A maker of synthetic engine oil, and owner of a logo seen far and wide across the world motorsport landscape, Mobil 1 marks its 50th birthday this year – and, thanks to a partnership with Autodromo, that anniversary will be celebrated with a new watch.

It’s called the Mobil 1 Edition Monoposto and, just like the orihonal, its design is inspired by the oversized dashboard guages of vintage race cars. The name itself also stems from motor sport, since monoposto is the Italian word for a single-seater racer.

Available now, the watch is offered as two distinct variants. Both have a 43 mm stainless steel case with a white dial decorated with the brand’s red pegasus logo, and an exhibition case back revealing the Japanese Miyota 9039 automatic mechanical movement within. The case back features a Mobil 1 logo, but no such branding appears on the case or dial.

Both watches also have a sapphire crystal protecting the dial and 50 metres of water resistance, and both come with an Italian buffalo leather strap. The differences are found in the case and strap colour, since once is silver coloured with a blue strap, and the other pairs gold-coloured stainless steel with a black strap. The former costs £810 and is limited to 100 examples, while the latter is £880 and just 50 examples will be produced.

It’s interesting to see how subtly the Mobil 1 logo has been incorporated onto the rear watch, with no mention on the dial. The synthetic oil company’s blue and red branding has appeared on many iconic race car liveries over the decades, including those of BMW touring cars, many iterations of Porsche 911, including the winner of the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the iconic Ford Escort Cosworth rally car.

Bradley Price, founder of Autodromo, said: “We are so excited to bring back our beloved Monoposto series with one of the most iconic brands in motorsport history. Not only are we proud to feature the legendary pegasus on the dial of the watch, but it is also the first ever version of the Monoposto with a ‘redline delete’ on the crystal, which is a big deal for our collector community. Collectors have been asking me to do this for years, and it’s an honour to make this dream a reality with the Mobil 1 team.”