Atelier Jalaper AJ-P400: Lamborghini in a Watch

by Tyler Frederick

Upcycling the Miura

Those who collect watches tend to dabble in other mechanical interests, especially cars. What happens when you put a car inside a watch or allow two collector worlds to collide? You get your wallet screaming for help from the other room. I’ve spent much of my time growing up around cars; my dad is a mechanic, my grandfathers were mechanics, and I took on the karts. I don’t make the rules; it just happened. Having a passion for the automotive and design allowed me to view cars from a different perspective, and one of the first cars I truly fell in love with was the Lamborghini Miura. What do watches have to do with this? Well, it just so happens that our friends at Atelier Jalaper have produced a watch that uses upcycled parts from vintage Lamborghini Miuras for their dials. The watch in question is the Atelier Jalaper AJ-P400.

I might ramble throughout this review, but stay with me. I’m discussing two things I love to an extreme. The Miura, in my opinion, is the most beautiful car ever built, and in fact, almost didn’t make it into production. Company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini nearly scrapped the Miura due to his love for grand touring cars and his lack of interest in building anything that resembled a race car. He felt it was too similar to the design ideation of Ferrari. However, the development team pushed forward, presented the car, and Ferruccio gave the green light to continue. The Lamborghini development team pushed the envelope and created what they loved, and it worked out: the watch world in a nutshell.

Push engineering boundaries, and do what you love. That’s why I fell in love with the AJ-P400: the watch comes from passionate car enthusiasts designing what they want and what makes them happy, so I was ecstatic to check it out.

Check out the Hanhart 415 ES Iconic

Advertisement

Key Features of the Atelier Jalaper P400

Love at first sight

I had the chance to check the AJ-P400 in the metal at the Toronto Timepiece Show in September of last year. I was already in love with the design, but when I learned of its connection to the Miura, my full attention was on the watch. The case features rounded edges and squared sides with a mix of brushed and polished edges, blending fast and sporty with elegance—the perfect choice for a watch inspired by such a beautiful car. While the case is gorgeous, I’m fixated on the bezel and dial.

Inspired by the headlights of the Miura, the bezel brings the whole design together and is such a well-implemented layer of sophistication and a tribute to the legend. The dial is a piece of art in itself. Acquiring a genuine component from a Miura P400 S, anodizing it to turn it matte black and to preserve its original patina, then punching it to create a unique dial for each watch, allows the wearer to have a piece of automotive history on their wrist.

Under the hood

Without the engine, the car doesn’t run, and without the movement, the watch doesn’t run. I’m a huge fan of manual winding movements due to their tactile nature, having to wind them by hand and physically putting the energy into the movement with each crown turn. It provides a more personal connection. Powering the AJ-P400 is the Sellita SW270-1 M, featuring a 45-hour power reserve, a power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock and a date complication. The movement can viewed through the sapphire display caseback.

Quibbles

I’ve said it before about other watches, and I’ll repeat it: this watch doesn’t need a date window. I would love to see all the numerals and the date window taking away that 3 interrupts the design. As always, it’s a personal preference, but I feel the date is an unnecessary addition.

Specs

Case	316L Stainless Steel 39.5mm Diamter 46.6mm Lug-to-Lug 10.3mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screw Down Crown & Screwed Case Back 50m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Sapphire Crystal Anodized Aluminum Dial Printed Index Pencil Handset Power Reserve Indicator Super-LumiNova
Movement	Sellita SW270-1 M 18 Jewels 28 800vph 45 Hours on a Full Wind
Strap	Textured Leather (as found in the seat covering of the Lamborghini Miura)

Atelier Jalaper AJ-P400

Final Thoughts

The AJ-P400 is a fantastic watch I deeply love. From its design to materials, it’s aimed directly at car collectors and enthusiasts. It may not appeal to all watch collectors, but that’s not the point. Atelier Jalaper took the beauty of a car and transformed it into a wearable piece of automotive history, one that will strike at the hearts of many. For those looking for a watch designed with an automotive locus–or simply for something different–the AJ-P400 is worth checking out.

Pricing & Availability

The AJ-P400 retails for €1 880, or approximately $1875USD ($2660CAD), and is available through Atelier Jalaper.

About the author

Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.

Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.

Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.