Before the circuit, the beach.
The starting point for GRID01 is the land-speed world of Malcolm Campbell and Blue Bird: an enormous machine, a long stretch of sand, and the effort to make the next measured run faster. It gives Hourworn a different motorsport vocabulary—one built around mechanical ambition and the shape of the machine.
Rolex’s account of Daytona places Campbell’s last beach record in March 1935, at about 276 mph. Later that year, he took Blue Bird to Bonneville and broke 300 mph. Our artwork stays with the Daytona chapter: the sand, the blue car and that 276 mph run.
The Oyster connection.
Rolex records that Campbell wore an Oyster from 1930 onwards, including during his 1935 record-breaking drive. The company places him among the early figures in its motorsport history. For a watch person, that is a compelling connection: the watch was already part of this world long before the racing chronographs most people picture today.
The dial in GRID01 is Hourworn’s own Speedwing design. Campbell’s watch connection was the starting point for bringing a dial and the Blue Bird car into one image.
The machine and the dial.
The artwork puts the watch above the blue car, with the wheels, sand and streaming bodywork drawing the eye across the bottom half. Period-inspired lettering and the Daytona setting carry the sense of place. The oversized dial ties the whole image back to Hourworn.
The Pursuit of Speed is the concept behind GRID01. Blue Bird is one of the designs in the product line I’m building. It is a chance to bring a less familiar chapter of watch culture into something made to be worn.
From artwork to a finished garment.
The artwork direction is selected. Turning it into a finished garment still means making decisions about the blank, print size, color, fit and the way the decoration wears. I’ll share those choices and the samples in the Studio.
For now, explore the artwork and join the launch list if you want the store opening announcement. I’ll share the final details and availability when the garments are ready.
For a different era of motorsport, Hourworn Racing pairs a Japanese racing car with a 1970s-inspired chronograph. Explore the vintage-inspired Racing T-shirt →
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Sources and references behind this note.
