Post by Lee on Jul 29, 2022 12:09:28 GMT
In the mid-1970s, Bertone produced a range of limited edition gift timepieces for Lancia Stratos buyers. This is the story of a simple LED watch that has secretly grown into a real collector's item.
Much has been written about the Lancia Stratos and yet little is known about the accompanying watch which was never intended for sale but instead as a gift for the buyers of such a Bertone special. The coachbuilder opted for the then revolutionary LED technology in the early 1970s to emphasize the futuristic character of the Lancia Stratos and it has to be said: even half a century later, the wristwatch still looks cool (at least to me), just like the car that came with it.
As far as we know, Nuccio Bertone personally designed the Stratos Watch and Huges Aircraft supplied the n.206 LED module and it was assembled initially by Buler and later by Dugena – a Swiss and a German watch house respectively. In addition, Bertone is said to have signed for a dozen other watch designs in the same period, ranging from classic quartz movements to digital LCD copies. It seems it is the LED module version ff the Stratos Watch that is most desireable, Despite the fact that you have to push a button to read the time or date, since the batteries at the time were not yet able to make the diodes light up constantly.
In addition to the black version with PVD coating, there was also an unpainted version in polished metal, probably with a slightly different strap. Exactly how many of each were produced has never been released. We could assume that at least as many Stratos Watches were made as cars were delivered (492), but that is not certain and since Bertone went bankrupt some years ago it is almost certainly impossible to determine for sure.
Much has been written about the Lancia Stratos and yet little is known about the accompanying watch which was never intended for sale but instead as a gift for the buyers of such a Bertone special. The coachbuilder opted for the then revolutionary LED technology in the early 1970s to emphasize the futuristic character of the Lancia Stratos and it has to be said: even half a century later, the wristwatch still looks cool (at least to me), just like the car that came with it.
As far as we know, Nuccio Bertone personally designed the Stratos Watch and Huges Aircraft supplied the n.206 LED module and it was assembled initially by Buler and later by Dugena – a Swiss and a German watch house respectively. In addition, Bertone is said to have signed for a dozen other watch designs in the same period, ranging from classic quartz movements to digital LCD copies. It seems it is the LED module version ff the Stratos Watch that is most desireable, Despite the fact that you have to push a button to read the time or date, since the batteries at the time were not yet able to make the diodes light up constantly.
In addition to the black version with PVD coating, there was also an unpainted version in polished metal, probably with a slightly different strap. Exactly how many of each were produced has never been released. We could assume that at least as many Stratos Watches were made as cars were delivered (492), but that is not certain and since Bertone went bankrupt some years ago it is almost certainly impossible to determine for sure.
