Casio’s Edifice ECB-2300HR-1A Marks Precise Tribute to Honda’s Breakthrough F1 Victory

Sixty years ago, on October 24th, 1965, something very special happened at the Mexican Grand Prix: Richie Ginther took the checkered flag in the Honda RA272, the first time a Japanese manufacturer had ever won a Formula One race, and Honda built the entire car in-house, from chassis to engine. Casio has released a new Edifice collaboration, the ECB-2300HR-1A, which is a watch designed to evoke that moment of triumph while yet offering all of the modern you’d expect.

Championship White gives the ceramic bezel a really elegant appearance, as it is the same white paint that Honda used on their winning vehicles back in the day. The top of the dial features a gold ’60’, a charming homage to the occasion. A thin red stripe runs around the edge of the dial, which is a nice touch because it matches the red circle on the RA272’s snout. Look over at the subdial at 9 o’clock, and you’ll notice it’s done in a manner that mimics old 1960s racing cars.

A laser-engraved Honda logo, as well as some custom anniversary artwork, can be found on the case back of the watch. The lugs are a brilliant addition; they’re comprised of carbon and steel and are intended to resemble vehicle suspension arms. They lend a touch of motorsport technical flair to the watch without overwhelming the rest of the design.

The strap is comfortable to wear, made of white leather, and has some printed lettering along the edge with some of the RA272’s major specs: a 1.5 litre V12 engine that produced 230 horsepower and revved to 12,000 rpm in a car weighing only 215 kg. If you look closely at the underside of the strap, you’ll notice that it has a red suede lining that is both comfortable and breathable, as well as some beautiful designs of that little V12 engine. Some models will even have the actual date and time of the 1965 win inscribed into them.

The buckle on the strap is also fairly fancy; it has the number 11 to honor Ginther’s automobile, as well as the Latin words ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ (which translates to ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’). It’s a great touch of added detail that makes the watch feel like a true collector’s piece.

Casio’s Tough Solar system provides power, so it will run for a long time as long as there is light. It also has Bluetooth, which allows you to utilize a phone app to change time zones and set alarms. The watch has the standard features, such as a multi-stopwatch, countdown timer, and world time, as well as some extras like a perpetual calendar and daily alarms. For good measure, the face is illuminated with powerful LEDs, allowing you to see it even in low light.

Sapphire crystal provides enough protection; it is scratch-resistant and has an anti-reflective coating to keep the face clear. And with limited production and initial releases only available in Japan starting 66,000 yen, it’s guaranteed to be a collector’s item. Recent rumors indicate that the launch has been delayed, but some specimens have already appeared on resale sites at a markup. Each piece comes in unique packaging to make it even more collectible.
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