REC TTT Great Escape Watch

Of all the movies out there, it goes without saying that the Steve McQueen vehicle, The Great Escape, is amongst the most iconic and memorable and, needless to say, the motorbike in the movie plays almost a big a starring role as McQueen himself. It is this motorcycle that is also the star of the show in REC Watches’ latest timepiece release – the awesome looking TTT Great Escape Watch. It is a Swiss made limited-edition timepiece that has been crafted from the 1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy that was used in the film The Great Escape from 1963.

The REC TTT Great Escape Watch has a price tag of £1473 and the fact it has been made using what is generally considered to be the most famous Triumph motorcycle in the world, the 1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy 650cc was used in the movie The Great Escape in 1963, the appeal it offers both motorcycling and movie aficionados is off the charts. The bike from the movie was left to gather dust in a barn in Norfolk for over four decades before being discovered by Dick Shepherd, owner of the world’s rarest private collection of Triumph motorcycles, and it has been repurposed perfectly in the shape of these iconic timepieces from REC Watches.

BORN FROM AN ICON

Given how long it had been left abandoned, the motorbike was in need of some serious restoration. This restoration process took around 3 months with a staggering 95% of the original parts preserved on the exhibition bike. Shepherd replaced the clutch plates and connector rods to get the Triumph looking exactly as it does in the movie, passing the originals on to REC Watches for use in the TTT Great Escape dials. The bike is now on permanent display at the Triumph Factory Museum in Hinckley, UK.

The REC TTT Great Escape Watch (£1473) strives to establish a link between the design and functionality of this highly unique motorcycle. Along with the TR6 components used in the dial, multiple references to the bike’s design aesthetic are also built into the TTT Great Escape timepiece from REC Watches. These include the dark-green colour scheme used on the dial, rotor and strap inner lining, and the bike’s license plate as seen in the movie (WH-13371), which appears at 5 o’clock on the inner dial.

Each TTT Great Escape timepiece boasts a dual inner/outer case construction that lets the wearer turn the entire dial to switch between RIDE and DRESS mode. In RIDE mode, the 12 o’clock marker is shifted 30 degrees clockwise to centre it in the rider’s field of vision. The semi-openworked sandwich dial and exhibition case of this watch allows you to look straight through the balance wheel and beyond, echoing the “naked” design of the TR6’s engine. The skeletonized SW200-1 movement has been designed and customised in conjunction with Sellita, and has ruthenium plating and a custom rotor inspired by the spoked wheels, with a sunburst-finished oscillating weight. Love the Great Escape? This is the watch for you.

buy now | £1473