Time Fast D8

Experience the pure pleasure and precision of vintage race cars & Swiss clockmaking Time Fast D8 is a Swiss manufactured kinetic sculpture that is a vintage-inspired race car and contemporary clock. It was designed by Georg Foster in this second collaboration between ECAL (Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne) and L’Epée 1839. Time Fast draws inspiration from the thrills of experiencing speed--whether as driver or spectator. A motor-sport fan, Georg relates the sound of smoldering engines and the metallic clicking following a race to the tick-tock of Time Fast D8’s escapement.

Classic 1950s cars are universally ingrained in our collective subconscious and imagination: single-seaters boasting a sleek design, fluid lines and assertive aerodynamics. In motor racing, it's well known that although the driver is the only one to cross the finish line, an entire team is required to make the victory possible. What applies to the track also applies to life. Our team of designers, engineers and watchmakers accepted the challenge of producing an exceptional and unique clock incorporating all the elements of a race car. Every detail has been carefully considered to intimately interlink form and function to spark a renewed fascination for clock-making, racing and kinetic sculptures.

THE MOVEMENT
The name Time Fast D8 clearly states its technical aspirations; it incorporates a motor that can last 8 days with an in-house caliber with a 192-hour power reserve beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour that hugs the curves of the bodywork. Time Fast D8 needs to be filled up (with mechanical energy) once every week. In a nod to childhood memories of pull-back cars, the mechanical movement's barrel is wound by moving the wheels in reverse to provide the car with the power it requires for the unimpeded drive mode delight.

Hours and minutes are easily read and displayed on the side of the chassis through an aperture resembling a competition number via two engraved stainless steel disks. A figure sits in the cockpit, where a driver’s glass domed helmet both showcases and protects the thrumming escapement. Like a driver regulating the engine, it sets the pace. In front of the driver is the steering wheel, which adopts the three-spoke design typically seen in race cars. The car's steering wheel has been specially designed to enable it to functionally steer the time when an adjustment is required. A counterclockwise turn of the wheel adjusts the time, while a clockwise turn can be used to reposition the steering wheel once the correct time is set.

With 289 ultra-precise mechanical components finished with the greatest care, Time Fast D8 promises you nothing but pure pleasure.

THE MACHINE
Time Fast D8 features a number of eye-catching details: a long protruding engine hood, a typical 1950s radiator grill, large spoked wheels, and a driving seat positioned to the rear and the sloping back section. Its overall sporty feel is reinforced by its elegant design, flawless finishes and fluid lines. The shaping and production were entirely entrusted to the manufacturer’s passionate teams, predominantly comprised of automotive enthusiasts. With the exception of the raw aluminum casting, the crystals and the jewels (sourced from elsewhere), every piece has passed through the hands of the twenty or so experts within the L’Epée 1839 workshops.

Just like a normal-sized car, Time Fast D8 is composed of an assortment of parts: from the solid aluminum body parts to the components as small as an escapement wheel (measuring just a few millimeters across). Each part is individually and impeccably finished—whether decorated, polished, satin finished or sand-blasted by hand. Particular attention has been paid to the four wheels, whose spoked rims are wrapped in soft rubber for greater grip, providing excellent transmission of power during winding. The movement’s plates form the chassis. The radiator grill reveals the L’Epée 1839 emblem. A dual exhaust provides one final nod to the automotive world. On the other side of the chassis opposite the time is the advertising spot in the characteristic circle on iconic race cars. This space can be optionally custom engraved to create a personalized car(the L’Epée 1839 logo comes as standard).

With 289 ultra-precise mechanical components finished with the greatest care, Time Fast D8 promises its owner nothing but pure pleasure and sensations. Measuring 38 cm long, 16 cm wide and 12 high and weighing just 4.7 kg, this race car is by no means lacking in stature and could easily have come straight from one of the greatest motorsports stables.

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Time Fast D8 is available in 5 editions of 100 works in each body color: Red, Blue, Green, Blue with White Stripes, and White with Blue Stripes