The Swiss-California partnership brings us a new central display chronograph based on the AgenGraphe movement.

When the world of custom-made sports cars in California meets the world of fine Swiss watchmaking, the result is the Singer Track1.

The story of this imaginative new chronograph model begins in 2014 with an encounter between Rob Dickinson, the founder of Singer Vehicle Design and known for his custom-made Porsche 911s, and Marco Borraccino, a well-known watch designer.

Rob, based in California, and Marco, who was in Geneva, shared a fascination with mechanical creations, and a common ground was the iconic sport-classic chronograph design of the late 1960s and 1970s.

But in this case, it took more than two to tango. That’s because Marco shared the idea for a unique chronograph with famed master watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. With the third pillar of the collaboration in place, the fate of the new watch was assured.

There is a lot going on with this new timepiece, not least of which is the interesting exterior. But that has all been made possible thanks to what’s beneath the surface. The watch holds within it a movement which is the product of a decade of development by a team from automotive and horological worlds.

Specifically, the AgenGraphe is the caliber powering the Singer Track1, and it stands apart from the typical chronograph. The automatic movement is the synthesis of 447 parts – 67 of which are jewels somehow – which combine together to provide a minimum power reserve of 60 hours.

To my knowledge, this is only the second watch to use this movement — the other being the Fabergé Visionnaire. The latter, of course, picked up some serous awards in part thanks to its central chronograph display and peripheral time display. So it’s not the worst idea to try to reproduce some of that success when starting a new brand.

The movement, which is unlike anything else out on the market today, can also be appreciated for all of its glory through the display case back. It also provides the foundation for the impressive display on the dial side.

The fundamental point of the watch is a renewed emphasis on legibility. As a result, we get a display of all chronograph functions in the center of the dial, allowing the elapsed time to be read easily and clearly with just a glance.

Otherwise the daily time display orbits the periphery of the central chronograph, cast in relief on two rotating discs, which almost look like bezels of sport watches of the past.

That is where the Track1’s neo-retro look really becomes evident. The designers have successfully combined elements of iconic stop watches, and it reminds me of dashboard instruments that can be found on classic cars from the 1960s and 1970s. The tonneau-shaped 43mm case made of grade 5 titanium also adds to the 1970s feel of the piece.

At first glance, the watch takes a bit of getting used to in terms of timekeeping since its displays are not what we’re used to from a chronograph. But once you’ve been orientated, it becomes clear rather quickly that the dial is well laid out and intuitive to follow.

It’s also very clear that, overall, this is a stunning new timepiece. As a result, the 50 piece limited edition comes with a price tag just shy of 40,000 Swiss Francs.