The Swiss high-end clock manufacturer’s Belly Tank Racer captures the spirit of a golden age of ingenuity – an era defined by rebuilding and bold reinvention. A compelling, luxury clock for every home.
The Aerodynamic Racing Machine
Belly tank racers are one of those perfect hot-rod legends – born from surplus drop tanks, dry lakes and people who wanted to overcome challenges and break limits.
It all started with airplanes. Fighter jets used to carry external fuel tanks – called ‘drop tanks’ or ‘belly tanks’. These were streamlined, teardrop-shaped aluminum tanks mounted under the fuselage to extend flying time.
When WWII pilots returned home, they looked at these perfectly aerodynamic forms and saw something else entirely: a ready-made race car body. What others saw as old surplus, they saw it as a new innovative opportunity – driven by curiosity and ingenuity.
L’Epée 1839’s Belly Tank Racer captures the spirit of a golden age of ingenuity – an era defined by rebuilding and bold reinvention. Its elongated teardrop form recalls the unmistakable profile of the 1940s belly tank racers: low, narrow and engineered with purpose. True to L’Epée 1839’s signature, every component serves a purpose, with form shaped by function – each detail designed counts.
More than record-setters, belly tank racers embodied optimism and reinvention – where determination, courage and mechanical creativity transformed remnants into beautifully shaped icons of progress, a philosophy of ingenuity and mechanical creativity that remains at the heart of L’Epée 1839.
Both nostalgic and forward-looking, its clean lines and wind-shaped curves give it a sleek, contemporary presence. Even at rest, the silhouette feels ready for acceleration.
The Automotive-Inspired Clock
L’Epée 1839’s Belly Tank Racer bridges eras, blending the optimism and mechanical ingenuity of post-war American racing culture with modern, almost futuristic aesthetics. Designed by Eric Meyer, the belly tank racer is all about effortless sophistication – its pure lines and radical simplicity creating a presence that feels undeniably modern. Rooted in heritage yet shaped by a forward-looking vision, it stands as a timeless expression of refined motor design.
Within the streamlined form of the L’Epée 1839 Belly Tank Racer, the time display is seamlessly integrated into a smooth, aircraft-designed aerodynamic body, wrapping around the central cylinder like painted racing graphics and becoming part of the machine rather than a separate dial.
Hours and minutes are shown on two transparent rotating discs, allowing time to glide effortlessly across the visible mechanism beneath. Every gear, every oscillation part of the Belly Tank’s ‘mechanical engine’ becomes a visual experience.
At the very front, the escapement – the beating heart of the movement – takes pride of place in the nose of the body. Positioned where airflow would first meet the
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