First Look: Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Collection

From the intricately detailed 1939 Chronograph to the 1970 compressor-inspired Diver, Dan Henry watches have gained quite the following with watch-heads. By pulling cues from vintage watches—some iconic and others obscure—Dan Henry has made vintage styling available at an exceedingly affordable price. The brand’s latest is the 1964 Gran Turismo collection, directly inspired by a mashup of vintage Heuer Carrera references.

The stainless steel case measures 38 millimeters wide, 12.8 millimeters thick, and 44.6 millimeters lug-to-lug. The lug width is 19 millimeters. The case is largely polished but for the mid-case along the sides and the embossed, screw-in case back. Large pump pushers sit on the right side of the case and flank a moderately-sized and signed crown.

A prominent double-domed mineral crystal sits proudly on top of the case. The crystal is sapphire-coated for added durability, and it features AR treatment to reduce glare.

Inside the watch is Seiko’s ever-reliable VK63 meca-quartz movement. At three, six, and nine are sub-dials for the 24-hour register, active seconds, and the 60-minute counter, respectively. This layout obviously differs from vintage norms, (30-minute and 12-hour counters).

The Gran Turismo series kicks things off with four classic dial variants: (1) slate gray with a tachymeter; (2) silver with black sub-dials (panda) and a tachymeter; (3) matte black with silver sub-dials (reverse panda), a tachymeter, and date; and (4) silver with a tachymeter and date.

*My preference would be no-date variants for all models, with the current positioning of the dates looking a bit misplaced, but at the very least the date wheels match the dials so they’re not overly distracting. As it stands, my favorite of the four is the panda.

*Editor’s correction: All four dials are available in date and no date variants.

The dial printing here is what we’ve come to anticipate from Dan Henry. It’s precise and sharp, and it feels much more luxurious than one would expect for the price.

Each watch will come with a pebbled-leather strap (available in brown, black, and tan) and a fitted “beads-of-rice” bracelet—both with quick-release pins. I really like that the bracelet and strap are part of the regular package, which also includes a handy watch roll. It’s all a nice value add. 38 millimeters is a great neo-vintage sweet spot size. Unsurprisingly, it looks right at home on my seven-inch wrist, and I especially like it on the bracelet, which I found to be very comfortable. I also like that the bracelet doesn’t come with a generic flip-lock clasp and appears to be slightly elevated from the norm. The leather straps are acceptable and much nicer than what you would normally find at this price, though a bit stiff at first.

Altogether, the new Gran Turismo collection from Dan Henry follows the brand’s successful formula: vintage-inspired design + solid build quality + great price = one hell of a deal. Selling for $250, the Gran Turismo collection will be available today direct from Dan Henry’s e-store. Dan Henry

Disclaimer: The Windup Watch Shop is an Authorized Dealer of Dan Henry.