Get the inside scoop on the origins of one of the most successful automotive-inspired watch brands, Autodromo, and its founder, Bradley Price.
How to love what you do
Growing up, that automotive love was nurtured by model building. It was not only a way to explore his passion for cars, but also a shared hobby between a boy and his father. This father-son bonding would prove to be instrumental in shaping the course Bradley’s life would later take. Reflecting on his love of model building finally made it clear to Bradley why he loves designing watches: the attention to detail and the precision of working on models perfectly set him up for it.
He was also constantly surrounded by books on cars and design. These books gave Bradley a deep appreciation for art as well. As a child, he found the retro-futuristic designs of 1930s trains particularly appealing and would sketch them for hours
Once Bradley graduated from high school, he decided to put his love of art and cars to good use by double majoring in industrial design and art history in college. He then moved to New York City to work as an industrial designer in a design studio.
During his time in New York, he realized he needed a way to shake off the weight that the city can put on someone—a way to escape the hustle and bustle, the symphony of sirens and horns that scored everyday life. He found that escape in a bright red Alfa Romeo GTV6. Growing up with an Austin-Healey in the garage and attending British car shows gave the Alfa an exotic appeal to Bradley. Its Italian flair and Giorgetto Giugiaro design made it the perfect escape pod for venturing into parts unknown.
While leaving the city came with its own challenges, Bradley would instantly feel a weight lift off his shoulders as he crossed the George Washington Bridge and merged onto the Palisades Parkway. Once the iconic suspension towers of the bridge faded into his rearview mirror, he was free—free to go wherever he wanted and free to shake off the gravity of day-to-day life and focus on the road.
Usually, the nose of the Alfa was pointed northwest, toward the welcoming embrace of Harriman State Park and its ribbons of twisty tarmac. Today, the roads of Harriman State Park see quite a bit of traffic, both from other enthusiasts with the same idea and from law enforcement with a different one. However, a decade ago, they felt like Bradley’s own personal driving oasis—his playground, away from the grind of his job and the weight of responsibility. There, he and his Alfa could simply play.
On one of his excursions in the park, Bradley stopped by the side of the road and was admiring the design of his Alfa’s unique gauges and thought to himself that the design would make an interesting wristwatch.
Bradley didn’t grow up a watch enthusiast, he liked watches and had a passing interest in them, but they were far from the focal point cars were. He had long felt that there was a hole in the watch market for a well-designed, high-quality wristwatch that blended automotive history and design influences with an authentic passion at its core.
In those years, many automotive enthusiasts were chasing vintage Heuers, Porsche Design chronographs, and, of course, the coveted Rolex Daytona. But if you weren’t looking to spend at least four figures on a watch and wanted it to reflect your love of automotive culture and history, you were out of luck. Enter Autodromo.
Bradley combined all of his passions into one when he founded Autodromo in 2011. His love of vintage race cars, his eye for design and intricate details, and his background in package design all played a role in creating his unique line of automotive-inspired watches. Most importantly, they were a true reflection of Bradley and his passion.
This authenticity is what has set Autodromo apart from its contemporaries and has been the driving force in Bradley’s life. It also proved to be the right choice. Within a year and a half, he was able to leave his day job at a design studio and focus on Autodromo full-time.
Bradley doesn’t just make watches inspired by vintage race cars—he competes in vintage racing. His track weapon of choice is a white 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce.
Much like his love for cars, Bradley’s love of racing has been with him for as long as he can remember. But, like many, racing was a hobby he couldn’t indulge in until he had established himself in his career in his 30s.
He started like many drivers do—by doing track days at Lime Rock Park, Summit Point, and Watkins Glen with his trusty GTV6—and he immediately fell in love with his time on the track. Driving spiritedly on back roads brings with it certain hazards, such as other drivers, unknown road conditions, and unpredictable wildlife. A track has none of that. Bradley loved that he could simply focus on the task at hand: driving at the edge of your ability. It was again, a liberation unto itself.
Looking at Autodromo’s lineup of past and present models reflects Bradley’s diverse automotive interests. The Monoposto and Stradale represent his love for 1950s race cars. The Prototipo, in its various guises, showcases his appreciation for 1970s automotive flair. And his passion for Group B and rally racing is embodied in the aptly named Group B and Group C watches. This love of different eras is also represented in his car collection.
The aforementioned GTV6 was sold and replaced with a newer but no less eccentric 2000 BMW Z3 M Coupe. It was joined by a Ferrari Dino 208 GT4, which satisfied Bradley’s love of 1970s design and style. The 208 GT4 is the little-known Italian market sibling to the 308 GT4. It has a 2.0-liter V8 engine as opposed to a 3.0-liter engine to skirt taxes on higher-displacement engines.
His Giulietta Spider Veloce race car also remains in his collection and now has company in the form of a competition-run Abarth-Simca 1300 GT—one of only 50 to 80 made—which competed in the Targa Florio in 1963, 1968, and 1969. Rounding out the race and rally side of his collection is a 1965 Alpine A110.
His lone non-Italian car is a 1965 Ford Mustang 289 notchback, which provides a fascinating counterpoint to the Alpine from the same year. He also couldn’t resist the siren call of the GTV6 and its legendary Busso V6 engine any longer and bought another one, this time to be turned into a racecar rather than a road car.
Mobil 1
Autodromo
Autodromo proves on every level to be not only a passion project for Bradley, but also a representation of everything he loves—from his lifelong love affair with cars and racing to his passion for design and style. This shared ethos and passion led Autodromo and Mobil 1 to collaborate on the Monoposto Pegasus Edition, a numbered rerelease of Autodromo’s most sought-after wristwatch, and we're giving Mobil 1 DR1VRS CLUB members a chance to win this limited-edition timepiece. Stay tuned to discover how to make this modern classic yours.
more voices
