In 2014, metal detectorist Paul Coleman stumbled across a haul of more than 5,000 late Anglo-Saxon coins buried in a field near Lenborough, Buckinghamshire. Two years later, his find was valued at £1.35m and Coleman became a millionaire when the Buckinghamshire County Museum bought them from him, proving that hours, days, months and years of searching for hidden treasures can be very worthwhile indeed.
David Giammetta knows this all too well, for the Sydney-based designer searches high and low for supercars in scrap yards across Australia before hand-picking their parts. Seriously, how can anybody be so cruel, allowing such magnificent machines to be cast aside? Well, thankfully heroes like Giammetta exist. Hunting out classic, vintage motors that are no longer working he and his team track them down among rubbles of waste before dismantling them. A talented motorcar enthusiast, he not only saves the essence of these stunning vehicles but transforms them into a bespoke series of limited edition watches.
Immortalising his finds forever, Giammetta blends horology with a need for speed to produce stunning timepieces following the coolest of transformations. The current limited run of 300 watches have been created using recycled parts from an Aston Martin Rapide and a 1980s Ferrari 348 TB which were each beyond repair with doors and a bonnet from the salvaging job incorporated into the manufacturing process. Exquisite cars, Giammetta knows their beauty is too good to lose and so works on moulding them into his new, modern pieces. Just imagine, owning such an expensive, classy piece of kit, and all for less than £350. Not bad at all and much cheaper than any outlay on a new automobile.
Creating the Fuoriserie brand, which loosely translates from Italian as ‘mechanically bespoke’, Giametta’s business is all about combining vintage aesthetics with modern performance. While the dials are made from the powerful vehicles, saved to shine another day, the lugs of the watch are inspired by the bumper bars of the 1948 Cadillac while leather straps pay homage to the vintage steering wheels of the era.
Designed in Sydney after the supercars have been discovered and offered salvation, the watches are made in China with Japanese Miyota 203A quartz movement. The brass hour and minute hands are accompanied by an aluminium second hand.
The final result is a beautiful watch which showcases the heritage of the cars in the most minimalist and sleek ways. Better still, every timepiece is completely unique due to the variation of the paintwork, from scratches to dents and gouges. Reproduced as recycled dials, each one tells their own unique story of the car’s past.
Fuoriserie says, ‘We’re inspired by the innovators and the dreamers of the world. Our ethos and product embody this very spirit. They’re built on the dreams of people who have a desire for supercars, speed alongside an appreciation for precise timekeeping and sustainability by reusing car parts destined for landfill.’
So, now you can finally land that supercar you’ve always wanted. Admittedly, it will only be a slim piece sat nicely on your wrist but boy, you’ll still be turning heads.
The 'Storm Black' and 'Rosso Red' variants are available now and retail for £348.
