British watch lover and designer Nathan Trafford has a thing for vintage racing cars, old-school espionage, and history. And he imbues his line of S.O.E. Roadster watches with all three. Inspired by the WWII Secret Operations Executive in England, otherwise known as Churchill’s Secret Army, three daring racers (William Grover-Williams, Jean-Pierre Wimille, Robert Benoist) were recruited to “Set Europe Ablaze” and cause chaos within Nazi-occupied regions using cunning, subversive tactics, and just balls-out courage. The S.O.E. Roadster aesthetic uses the famous Bugatti Type 35 racer as its automotive muse, and the handsome design captures the spirit of both the legendary car and the three daring men in colorful style. Each timepiece has a distinct colorway: British Racing Green (Grover-Williams), French Blue (Wimille), and Black (Benoist), replete with racing stripes, a 24-hour subdial, and a red date window. Lumed hands and markers, a rotating lumed bezel, elegant wire lugs, a contrast-stitched perforated leather rally strap, and a gorgeous caseback finish off the sporty but elegant look. Their Kickstarter campaign is fully funded, but you can still get your hands on one (or all three) with about four weeks to go.
Trafford Watch Co. S.O.E. Roadster
