Overview

Looking forward to seeing it in a couple weeks. What's the size?

My limited skills will definitely appreciate it! As we get closer to the Austin event I think we should send it done promo posts. I'll post it on a UT forum as well... Might get a few people from Austin to come by specifically.

Thanks Chris, I’m very excited about this one. Got some prototype parts in hand and it’s looking pretty killer. You’re right, the crystal seat is lower than the bezel. I had initially modeled the watch with a standard double dome crystal, like in the renderings above. After some consideration I decided to change the crystal to be more like the style on the omega speedmaster . Unlike the speedmaster, the top of the crystal sits just slightly above the bezel. I think it looks really clean this way. Looking forward to sharing more in the coming weeks. This should be a bit easier to photograph too so we can all look forward to that

This looks incredible. This is such a beautiful car. It looks like the crystal is actually slightly recessed below the bezel with only the top of the curved crystal extending higher. Is that correct?

Hi everyone, We’re thrilled to offer you an exclusive sneak peek into our next automotive inspired timepiece, the T54SL—a watch inspired by the timeless classic, the Mercedes 300SL. The Iconic Mercedes 300SL: Why did we choose to pay tribute to the Mercedes 300SL? To put it simply, this car is an automotive legend. It's more than just a vehicle; it's a symbol of innovation, style, and racing prowess. While the 300SL, introduced in the 1950s, has an iconic design and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made, the car wasn't just built for style. It was designed to dominate on the race track, and it did just that. It dominated the global racing circuit, clinching victories in events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, and the Carrera Panamericana, among many others. Design Inspirations: The T54SL is an homage to this legendary car, designed to encapsulate its essence. Let's take a closer look at the design elements: Dial and Hands: Similarly to our first watch, the T57BA. The dial and hands of this watch are a direct homage to the car's speedometer. Using the same font, and colors used on the car’s speedometer ensures that every glance at your wrist is a reminder of the 300SL and its unprecedented racing history. Crown Inspired by Dash Knobs: The devil is in the details, they say, and the Mercedes 300SL is a testament to this. We've taken cues from the car's dash knobs to design the watch crown. The result? A crown that effortlessly blends functionality and elegance. The crown design allows it to closely hug the case, for a nice on-wrist feel. Lug Design Inspired by Wheel Arches: Just as the 300SL's wheel arches accent the car’s curves so do the lugs on the T54SL accent the watch’s design. Choice of Bracelet or Leather Strap: Your watch, your choice. The Treiber T54SL will come with options for both a stainless steel bracelet or a hand made leather strap. A Sneak Peek: Now that you have a better idea of our inspiration, take a look at the rough 3D renderings of this timepiece, and some photos of the 300SL for comparison. A Timepiece in the Making: We are currently working to craft the very first prototype of this watch, so expect to see more on this in the coming weeks, as we build out the prototype. We will also be at the microLUX Austin show in November where we hope to have a prototype of this timepiece available for attendees to see and feel in person. As we venture further into the creation of this extraordinary watch, we invite you to stay tuned for more updates and a closer look at the prototype. More pictures and information will follow, showcasing the watch and the design philosophy behind this tribute to the Mercedes 300SL. We hope you share our enthusiasm for this project and can't wait to share the journey with you. Thanks, Hermann

Clubs are a place to discuss information about the watchmaker/brand. In some cases it may be public information, but in others cases, information or news may be disclosed that is NOT yet public. Unless you specifically see the information on a public forum from the brand itself, PLEASE DO NOT SHARE information from the club to anyone outside of the club unless it is specifically authorized by the brand. If you are unsure, just don't share it. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in your removal from the club and forum. Thank you! @timetexaschris

For August, Hermann is donating 20% of all sales, including watches, merchandise, and accessories, to support Maui relief efforts. Check out the shop at the link. https://www.treibertimepieces.com/shop

Wonderfully written as always, Chris! I’ve said this a few times, but it’s great how you’ve noticed some of the small design details I’ve incorporated. Really glad you got to get your hands on it and appreciate your feedback. As you’ve mentioned I’m working on improving the dial and crystal printing, so should have updates on that within the next month or two. Hoping to have more crisp printing and some stronger lume on the next batch. Maybe once I get those sorted I can get another watch sent out to you to get your input. My initial prototypes actually included a strap with a more standard buckle (with my own design), so if you, or other future customers prefer that over the deployant clasp, I could revisit that. I personally fell in love with the deployant clasp and haven’t wanted to touch a standard buckle since incorporating it so decided to move forward with that. Thanks again, and appreciate what you do to support us small guys in the watch world. -Hermann

A watch driven by the childhood aspirations of its designer to rebuild classic cars. Like the movement in a mechanical watch, the engine in a car is the heart, beating away and keeping it alive. But there's more than just the movement or engine that keeps it running. As anyone who loves cars can tell you, there's a soul that sparks the spirit and passion of car collectors. No car captures the American spirit moreso than the 1957 Bel Air. The striking curves and aggressive lines encapsulate the soul of classic American carmaking. Hermann Kugeler, the man behind Treiber Timepieces, has been re-building classic cars since he was 13 years old - before he could even drive. A mechanical engineer by trade, Hermann has turned his focus to and alternative hobby - designing and building watches. His first watch, the T57BA, gathers inspiration for the 1957 Bel Air and reconstructs it into a curvy and sexy timepiece. Inspiration for watch designs can vary. The issue with any overt inspiration is trying to marry two existing, and divergent, designs. The results can often result in an incoherent and disjointed mishmash between competing elements. That isn't an issue here as the watch was designed from the ground up using the elements of the car as inspiration. When you think of a '57 Bel Air, you think shiny, polished chrome, rounded curves, and analog controls. More aggressive than sleek, its low and muscular appearance evokes power and bold design choices. The T57BA captures that same feel. With its rounded case, large domed crystal, and polished stainless steel case sporting two different styles of lugs, the feeling is both modern and classic at the same time. And yes, you read that right, two styles of lugs. The roof line of the Bel Air is one of its most striking features of the car and they are captured beautifully with the lug design. One set of lugs is thinner and slopes more gently and another that is a more rounded and curved down. This was not an easy decision and Hermann wasn't sure it would work. And while its certainly unconventional, it doesn't afffect day-to-day wear. Just a quirky and fun reminder of the underlying inspiration. Its doubtful anyone would notice while you're wearing unless you are specifically pointing it out. The push-pull crown, inspired by the knob to turn on the headlights, isn't the easiest for gripping and pulling out, but the curvature of the case makes this easy work and a non-issue. The crown is signed with the Treiber logo. The dial design truly shines, mimicking the classic cars' speedometer display. Smartly done, the hours are printed on the inside of the crystal from 8 to 4, replacing the MPH. It adds a nice 3D element to looking at the watch. The gear shift indicator has been transformed into a day indicator. The dial is nearly a minature version of the drivers console with the requisite changes to indicate the time rather than the speed. You can see the similarities in the photos below. The red-lumed hands look fantastic and emulate the speed indicator. As red lume is prone to do; however, it fades quickly. But it does look fantastic and I think consistency of design was more important than making a watch to win a #fridaynightlumebattle. The hour markers on the dial appear to be applied lume and this is probably why these markers aren't as crisp. I know this is something Hermann is looking into different solutions and will hopefully result in a solution. The printing on the crystal is fine on the wrist, but under closer scrutiny is slightly inconsistent with some numerals not being quite as crisp as others in places. These are the only two minor issues with an otherwise wonderful and unique design. I didn't find either issue to be an issue while wearing the watch, but they were noticeable while taking photographs and something you should consider if you're a louper. The mirrored center of the dial is another great design inclusion to be consistent with the car. I have to admit I was a little worried at the listed size of 45mm. In talking with Hermann, this was a conscious decision to have a larger, modern size that has a significant presence on the wrist. Kind of like driving down the road in a Bel Air, you're going to get noticed, and again I think this was the right choice. And on my 18cm wrist (7"), it didn't feel too big in the least. My preferred size is about 40-41mm, but similar to my 43mm Moser, the design of the watch and the lugs makes it very wearable. I'd say it wears on the wrist about the same size as the Moser which i find to be a fantastic larger size and extremely comfortable. It fits the overall aesthetic and proportions of the watch. It also allows the dial room to breathe so everything seems properly spaced even though there's a fair amount going on. The watch is held in place by an excellent custom leather strap and deployant buckle that is signed on both the outside with the brand name and inside with the logo. Small wings where the strap attaches to the buckle let's you tuck the strap in and adds security. I'm not a huge deployant fan, but the execution on this definitely made me forget about that. It's extremely well executed. Besides the signed crown and buckle, the dial includes the Treiber logo at the 12 o'clock in lieu of the Chevy logo. And instead of an Odometer on the central plate, Treiber is inscribed. Again, everything fits into the original design elements but the spacing seems even better and less cluttered than the original speedometer. As for the watches heart, its a modified STP4-13 with outer day-date. The movement can be wound manually, or pulled out and rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the day or date respectively. Pulling the crown all the way out lets you adjust the time. The rotor is signed with the Treiber logo. There's definitely a place in the world for truly inspired design and the T57BA absolutely fits the bill. This is a great looking watch with incredibly thoughtful design. Hermann may be an engineer, but he's got a fantastic eye for design. Capturing the soul of a car, and an era, in a watch is no easy task. To develop a completely unique design, from the ground up, based on design elements from a classic car would be a challenge even for an experienced designer. That this is Hermann's first watch is really a notable achievement. The execution for a first watch is also excellent. Other than the minor gripes mentioned above there's a LOT more to love and focus on. The price at $3,500 is a challenging price point for the first watch from a new brand. As with any new brand and new model, there's going to be areas for improvement. In my opinion the price is fair for a well executed and extremely inspired, unique design. It isn't perfect, and if you're a louper or a fanatic for perfection at close range, then the printing issue may give you pause until those get resolved. But if you're someone who enjoys great design, classic cars, or fun and unique watches, there's a lot to love with the T57BA. The T57BA comes in three (3) different colorways - this beautiful deep cherry red, a wonderful surf green, and a classic black. I think all three look great.

Definitely. The next time I'm home I'll see if my mom has any.

Sounds like he had some awesome, not so common model A’s. I’m a big fan of the victorias, and you can’t beat a vintage fire truck! Very cool to hear and would love to see pictures if you find them.

These shots are really great! I definitely agree that all of the curves and fully polished surfaces make it a challenging subject. You’ve figured it out quickly though!

The dial is outstanding and totally respects the car theme of this watch. Super cool and not seen everywhere. The bracelet is awesome too, nice colors. I would have chosen a close caseback though , this movement and winding mass aren't great.

So Hermann was kind enough to send me a 57BA to photograph. I will say every watch takes me a few days to get used to the lighting and angle and I just got this yesterday. Plus it has a lot of curves, including the crystal, as well as having a polished surfaces. Both things that still confound me and my makeshift studio on my kitchen table. Regardless, I'm practicing and here's a few early shots.

My dad first bought a hotrod while I was in college but I always enjoyed it. He didn't keep it too long before he sold it and then got into remodeling Model A's and was part of the Austin Model A club. I'll see if I can find some photos of some of his cars. He had a '31 Crown Victoria and a fire truck and a few others he worked on and rebuilt but ended up selling. I was never very mechanically inclined, but I think it definitely plays a part in my love for mechanical watches. I truly appreciate people that can design and build watches and I'm fascinated that hundreds of inert metal pieces can be assembled to tell the time within just a few seconds per day. Really remarkable.

Hi everyone, this is Hermann, Treiber’s founder. I am a true gearhead that began working on cars at the age of 13. My first project started with rebuilding a 283 cubic inch V8 from a 1958 Chevy Corvette. The rebuild was challenging, but I loved every minute. This also sparked my interest in mechanical engineering, which eventually became my career. Following the engine rebuild I began searching for a car to put it in. That’s when I stumbled upon a beat up and abandoned 1932 Chevy frame and 1931 Ford body that were headed for the scrap yard. Most people would have written them off as junk, but I saw potential. I had always been fascinated by the 1950s era of American hot rodding that took pre-war cars and modified them to be sleek, and powerful machines. This car was an attainable start to the dream of having my own hot rod. By the time I was 16 the car was pieced together and drivable, but was far from finished. This didn’t stop me from driving the car around town though. By the time I was 18 the car was about 95% complete, including satin black paint. I am a strong believer in driving the cars we own and love, which is what inspired my company’s name “Treiber”, which is translated as Driver in Swiss German. I hope you enjoyed this little story and insight into my passions that have inspired the Treiber brand. This is just the beginning of my automotive journey. I have a lot more projects to share so keep an eye out for those stories. The attached pictures show the before and after photos of the engine and hot rod.

Now we all know there’s a special connection between the automotive and watch worlds, so we’d love to hear from you. What cool cars do you own or have owned? Have you worked on any exciting projects? Have you gone on a nice cruise recently? Please share your automotive adventures with or without your Treiber Timepieces. Treiber’s founder Hermann Kugeler has built and worked on classic cars since the age of 13. His passion for cars and watches spawned Treiber Timepieces, developing a bridge between the two interests. His automotive stories and projects are shared also shared here.