Shinola’s Vibrant New Canfield Speedway Lap 06 Wristwatch
Greg Verras, the design director of the Detroit-based lifestyle brand, explains the details behind this limited edition ode to automobile racing
Available as of today, Shinola‘s colorful, kinetic Canfield Speedway Lap 06 is a vintage-inspired ode to automobile racing that’s incorporated numerous daring design decisions. A limited edition automatic chronograph, the 44mm wristwatch employs punches of color (including two-tone subdial designs) within a polished stainless steel case that features a heavy coin edge and anodized aluminum collars on its pushbuttons. Inside, a customized Sellita movement powers the timepiece, while a full exhibition caseback grants an unobstructed view of the mechanism at work. It’s another exciting release from a brand we have long loved.
From the matte velvet pea gravel green dial and the rich red accents on the subdials to the tri-color tachymeter, a spectrum of contrasting and complementary hues informs the Lap 06. It’s an energized array of color that lends visual texture and even a sense of speed. “For this edition of the Canfield Speedway, the Shinola design team sought inspiration from the warm, dusty tones of early ’70s motorsport,” Greg Verras, the brand’s design director, tells COOL HUNTING. “In our initial research, we watched cult classic moto documentaries to put ourselves into the era. From there, we worked on a palette until a harmony of color appeared.”
The Lap 06 maintains legibility despite the vast amount of information the watch face must convey to support the chronograph function. “Our design lead on this pulled an all-night endurance run in the final stages of the design phase, which is where that balance was achieved through color blocking and proportion. I was blown away to see those finishing touches on the dial,” Verras says. Further, distinct numerals on the Lap 06 contribute to this visual accessibility. “The numerals are a custom font we developed. It’s a blend of the hand-painted racing numbers found on vintage NASCAR coupes, blended with our custom brand font, Argonite,” adds Verras.
“Since the development of the first edition of the Canfield Speedway, we’ve been digging through American racing history as our source of inspiration,” he continues. “The early days of NASCAR, itself an extension of modding Detroit-built stock cars for rum-running, had an incredible grass-roots feel. We watched vintage films of Daytona Beach racing or the dirt tracks at the Canfield Speedway in Ohio. What immediately jumped out to us was the garage engineering and experimentation, the variety of colors on the cars and the irrational bravery of the drivers and fans on the sidelines.” Shinola doesn’t just infuse the Lap 06 with these design references but with the colorful spirit behind the sport, as well.
That said, the Lap 06 isn’t stuck in time—another retro-tinged timepiece singing the praises of a bygone era, ignoring the needs of wearers today. It’s a contemporary chronograph underpinned by Shinola’s commitment to building watches in Detroit today. “We like to ride that line of retro and contemporary,” Verras says. “Too far in either direction and we begin to lose the connection to the brand. That tension between the two creates the space that we design in. The wire-lug watch is inherently vintage, from some of the first wristwatches, and the modern feel comes in through the large sapphire crystal showing the intricate forms and colors on the dial.” And whether or not a wearer intends to clock a race with the Lap 06, it’s an asset to know they could do so in style if they wanted to.
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