A Decade in the making

Ten years of DuFrane design, distilled into one limited edition chronograph.

The DuFrane Circuit Chronograph — Exclusive 10 Year Anniversary Edition

In 2016 I launched DuFrane with a simple idea: create watches that celebrate Austin’s history, places, and stories. And do it in a way where customer service and quality are unmatched. After all, history remembers those who are a little bit different.

In 2026, I’m marking DuFrane’s 10-year anniversary with a piece I’ve been thinking about for years—a new chronograph called The Circuit.

Inspired by Austin’s own Circuit of the Americas race track, The Circuit blends motorsport timing with DuFrane’s Austin-first design language. It’s bold, purposeful, and built to be worn, not just admired.

Here’s what makes it special:

• Limited to just 50 pieces for this inaugural anniversary run
• Titanium construction using grade 2 titanium
• Designed in Austin, with every detail tied back to the track
• Assembled by hand by me, here in Austin

The Circuit isn't just named after the track- it's designed around it

The Circuit, born at COTA

Let’s talk about where The Circuit really started:

Circuit of the Americas, our world-class race track right here in Austin.

I’ve spent a lot of time there, soaking in the details—the elevation changes, the iconic red and white curbing, the energy of race weekends. When I started sketching this watch, I wanted it to feel like COTA on the wrist.

Here’s how that inspiration shows up in The Circuit:

• The dial layout echoes the flow of a lap—clean, legible, and built for timing at a glance.
  
• Color accents call back to the track’s racing stripes and high-contrast curbing
  
• The chronograph is front and center, because this watch is built for timing, not just telling time.
  

Like all DuFrane pieces, The Circuit stays grounded in Austin. It’s not a generic “racing watch”—it’s a COTA watch, filtered through DuFrane’s design lens.

Designing The Circuit: from sketch to wrist

The details that make The Circuit a proper DuFrane chronograph

The Circuit has been on my mind for years, but it started with pencil and paper—dial layouts, subdial placement, color blocking, and how it would actually wear on the wrist.

Here’s a peek into the design decisions behind it:

Thoughtful proportions

The case is sized to sit comfortably on most wrists—substantial enough to feel like a proper chronograph, but balanced so it doesn’t wear like a brick. The lugs curve to hug the wrist, and the thickness is kept in check so it slides under a cuff.

Purpose-built dial

The dial is all about clarity under pressure:

• Bold main hands and injected-mold hour markers for instant legibility (day or night)
  
• High-contrast chronograph hands so timing is intuitive
  
• Clean, balanced subdials that don’t fight for attention, with the 30 minute register larger for ease of timing
  

Every mark on the dial has a job. Nothing is there just to look busy.

Real mechanical soul

Inside is a top grade Swiss ETA 7753 automatic chronograph movement, so every press of the pusher is a real mechanical interaction—not a battery, not a screen. This is old-school timing tech refined for modern wear.

Everyday capable

The Circuit isn’t a “safe queen.” It’s built with:

• Solid titanium construction, including D|Protect, allowing daily wear with ease
  
• Practical water resistance for real-world use (although, still use caution with water...it isn't a diver)
  
• A comfortable bracelet/strap setup designed to disappear on the wrist, both including micro-adjusting buckles

Here's a video of how I designed the Circuit.