Scrapped Ford Mustangs are being turned into luxury watches

A group of Danish watchmakers have been recycling scrapped Ford Mustangs to create a unique range of watches.

Christian Mygh, REC Watches’ co-founder, said his team scoured scrapyards looking for classic Mustangs that could be salvaged for parts for the firm’s P-51 range.

He said: “Most people would just see a pile of metal, a ghost of a Mustang. We see something completely different – the soul of a car and a story that needs to be told.

“I’m not cutting up Mustangs. I’m bringing Mustangs that are beyond repair back to life as a watch.”

However, it’s not simply a case of tearing a few parts out and putting the watch together. When the team at REC Watches find a decrepit Mustang, the work to trace the vehicle’s history begins, so they speak to previous owners and gather photos of the car in better times. This is then put into a bespoke video for the watch buyer.

Each watch incorporates the vehicle identification number (VIN), year of production and design homages to the car it came from. These include a battery life indicator that looks like the car’s fuel gauge and the hands, date and dial numbers that take design inspiration from the dashboard.

Unsurprisingly, the watches come at a price. There are three designs in the P-51 range, each costing $1,495 (circa £1,100) with free delivery to the UK.

REC’s range also includes watches made from disposed-of Porsche 911s and Mini Coopers, the latter of which are much more affordable at around £300.

The latest generation Ford Mustang was introduced in 2015 and marked the first time the all-American pony car was sold in Europe. Buyers have the choice of a four-cylinder 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine or a more traditional 5.0-litre V8 making 412bhp.

Prices start at £33,645 for EcoBoost-powered cars and £38,095 for those with the V8.