In Gear: Our pick of awesome gadgets in February

Buckle Down Seatbelt belt, $27

buckle-down.com
Tailored using real lap-belt buckles from classic American cars, this range of fashion belts is available in a number of designs and with branding from eight different manufacturers. The authentic belts are certainly not a substitute for factory safety gear, but we know what belt we want holding up our pants in the event of a crash.

Carbon Cravat bow tie, from $62

carboncravat.com
If you failed at being a proper gentleman and never learnt to tie a bow tie, then fake ones (that look way better than the real thing) used to be your only option. But now, the good people at Carbon Cravat are offering a version of the most pompous neck wear that doesn’t require a tutorial to tie, and is also far stronger than any lowly silk number. Crafted from high-grade carbonfibre used in rocket manufacture, the Contour and Classic ties not only look cool, they’re also saving scrap material from landfill. 

Bentley golf club set, from $4380

bentleymotors.com
“That sounds quite a reasonable price,” we hear you say. But like Bentley’s cars, there is no such thing as an off-the-shelf item and a range of customisation options will push this entry golf club set price into infinity. Customers can have the club shafts painted the same colour as their car, while the grips can be upholstered in hide to match their vehicle’s interior. Seems like an expensive way of testing if your car can really accommodate the most commonly used benchmark of boot space.

Baby Driver driving gloves, $125

gloveme.net
Driving gloves are a great way to tell the world you are an insufferable, pretentious buffoon. At least, that was the case until Ansel Elgort wore a pair in the feature film Baby Driver and now his gaudy strap-backed accessory has slipped into cinema folklore. Grab yourself a pair of these lamb skin gloves, a red rear-wheel drive WRX and relive the magic – within the confines of the law.

Watches

Omega Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer, $11,300

omegawatches.com
Horological folklore holds the legendary Omega Speedmaster ‘Moonwatch’ in high esteem as the only chronograph certified by NASA, but long before it ever went into space, the Speedmaster was designed with motorsport in mind. The recently released Racing Master Chronometer edition reflects this, taking basic Speedmaster design cues then ramping up the automotive flair. It’s bigger, at 44.25mm, with a transparent sapphire case-back and a perforated racing strap with cool high-vis orange highlights. The 9900 movement is automatic, rather than the original’s manual-wind, but in all respects this modern interpretation tastefully honours the Speedmaster’s origins. 

Seiko Prospex SRPC49K, $750

seiko.com.au
Seiko has kicked a goal with its three Prospex Black Series new releases for 2018, but this blacked-out version of the brand’s popular ‘Turtle’ diver could be our favourite. Maximum legibility is the thinking behind the dial design, with its large off-white Lumibrite hour markers and orange minute hand. Its broad 45mm case is 200m water resistant and houses an automatic movement with a 41 hour power reserve and day/date complication. The watch’s nickname was given by Seiko fans to the original diver of this shape, produced between 1976 and 1988, which was based on the Seiko worn by Martin Sheen in Apocolypse Now. Seiko says this wallet-friendly timepiece is a limited edition, but hasn’t mentioned a specific quantity.

Richard Mille RM 50-03, $1,300,000

richardmille.com
Here’s one to file under truly absurd. Let’s start with the name. In full, it’s the Richard Mille RM 50-03 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Ultralight McLaren F1. It is the first product to come from RM’s 10-year affiliation with McLaren, and as you might expect, it’s a mind-boggling showcase of what’s possible when money is no object. In other words, it’s very, very expensive. The seven digit figure above is no typo. Nobel Prize-winning scientists from the University of Manchester assisted with the first-of-its-kind case, which is constructed from Graphene and carbonfibre and, together with the watch’s titanium movement, achieves an incredibly low total weight of 38g including the strap. We’re not worthy.