As the current and former official timekeepers of Formula 1, Tag Heuer and Rolex are the watch brands most often associated with the top-dog motorsports series. Look closely at team liveries and driver racing kits, and you’ll see logos from a variety of other luxury watchmakers like Breitling, Tudor, Richard Mille, and IWC Schaffhausen. But budget-friendly baubles and F1 seldom converge in a meaningful way, which makes this racy model from Casio truly worthy of the “special-edition” descriptor.
The Casio Edifice ECB2300HR celebrates six decades since Honda—which last put a standalone factory team on the grid in 2021—earned its first race at the Mexican Grand Prix on October 24, 1965, a date amid an F1 golden era remembered fondly for iconic cigar-shaped cars featuring next to no safety features for the day’s drivers. Among them were legends like Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, and Bruce McLaren.
American driver Richie Ginther helmed a Honda RA272 to a flawless victory, just two years after Honda started producing road cars. The ECB2300HR is a dripping homage to the moment and the machine, featuring a carbon-fiber bezel colored Championship White—the exact same color and paint used on the RA272’s body, according to Casio. A contrasting red circle around the dial’s outer edge reflects the Hinomaru “rising sun” design painted in front of the RA272’s windshield, while the gold-IP metal band loop is engraved with the Latin phrase Veni, Vidi, Vici (“I came, I saw, I conquered”), the message sent from the race venue to Honda headquarters following the 1965 victory.
The Ultrasuede lining on the 6 o’clock side of the Nappa leather band features a blueprint-style graphic of the RA272’s pioneering 1.5-liter V12 engine, which was the year’s most powerful unit. The inset dial at the 9 o’clock position harks to the RA272 tachometer, incorporating scale markings, indicator shapes. and red zone accents. The case back features a laser-engraved anniversary logo created by Honda to commemorate 60 years since the first F1 victory.
The Edifice line, billed by Casio as embodying a “Speed and Intelligence” philosophy, is a natural choice for an F1 edition, as it already employs numerous automotive-inspired elements, including carbon fiber components and track-ready complications via the Casio Watches app, as well as core features like solar-powered battery charging and a a Super Illuminator double LED light that enables timekeeping in the dark.
Priced from $400, the Casio Edifice ECB2300HR initially sold out, but you can set a restock alert here.
