REC Watches has launched its first motorcycle-inspired watch collection, the TTT.
The collection comprises two limited edition timepiece, The Great Escape and the ICON1000.
The Great Escape:
The TTT Great Escape is a limited-edition timepiece made from the 1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy used in the film “The Great Escape” from 1963, limited to 393 pieces only.
The 1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy 650cc used in The Great Escape is considered the most famous Triumph motorcycle in the world, thanks largely to the movie’s heartstopping chase and jump scenes.
With a top speed of 110 mph, there wasn’t much else around in 1962 that could keep up with it.
REC’s aim in creating the TTT Great Escape timepiece was to establish a link between the design and functionality of this unique motorcycle.
Along with the TR6 components used in the dial, multiple references to the bike’s design are also built into the TTT Great Escape, including the dark-green color 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 timepiece features 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 center it in the rider’s field of vision.
Once filming was complete, the bike was left to gather dust in a barn in Norfolk before being discovered by Dick Shepherd, owner of the world’s rarest private collection of Triumph motorcycles.
After contacting Bud Ekins to confirm the bike’s authenticity, Shepherd set about restoring it to its former glory.
The restoration took about 3 months, with a staggering 95% of the original parts preserved on the exhibition bike.
However, Shepherd replaced the clutch plates and connecting 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.
