The Regulator Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio limited edition strikes the sweet spot between Swiss watchmaking and Italian automotive design

Cars and watches are usually a winning combination. Each industry has an emphasis on design, mechanics and performance, making business partnerships between the two very logical. That’s why we’ve seen so many of them over the years (someone should really keep a track of these things).

I like a good partnership when its done well, and not just when it’s forced simply to move products. That’s why I took note of Chronoswiss and its partnership with Italian car maker Alfa Romeo.

The independent Swiss watchmaker recently launched a limited edition Regulator Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio timepiece. This is merely one step in the watchmaker’s partnership with the automotive industry, having been the title sponsor of the Chronoswiss Classics and also developing the Wristmaster dashboard clock that was fit for a wrist.

This special edition was released to mark the launch of the dynamic new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which the Italian car maker hopes will conquer the North American market. I’m sure Chronoswiss, too, wouldn’t mind a larger share of the market pie in America.

The sporty watch bears the Quadrifoglio four-leaf badge on the right hand side of the dial, the same clover-leaf symbol that is usually reserved for the top end of Alfa Romeo’s luxury cars. The indicates that the watch, too, is based on performance, style and excellent craftsmanship.

That’s immediately obvious from the watch’s carbon fiber face, with details like the guilloched interior of the display for hours and seconds. The length of the hands is also notable - they are nicely aligned to create an off-balance look which reminded me a bit of a rev counter on a car dashboard.

The watch sports signal red accents throughout, part of the bold black-red colour scheme that predominates this special edition. The calfskin strap is also bred from the racing cloth, with its perforated finishing mirroring classic rally gloves, again paired with red contrasting details.

On the reverse, we can appreciate the galvanic black rotor of the automatic movement through the sapphire crystal display back. This model in particular is powered by the Chronoswiss Caliber C. 291, which is protected by a modestly sized 40 mm case.

To cap off the nearly $4,000 USD package, the timepiece is delivered in a special box with a metal plaque that also sports the recognizable Quadrifoglio logo.