It seems almost archaic in this digital age that one of the most cutting edge motorsport projects of all time is going to use a simple, unadorned dial to tell its driver when he's travelling at 1,000mph (1,610km/h).
That is exactly what we're talking about here though. The Bloodhound SSC car will, at some stage in 2016, whoosh across the vast Hakskeen Pan in South Africa trying to set the first ever four-figure (in mph terms) Land Speed Record. At the controls will be RAF Wing Commander Andy Green, the very man who currently holds the current, supersonic, 750mph (1,207km/h) record set in 1997 by the mighty Thrust SSC.
A major sponsor of the Bloodhound Project (which, rather nicely is entirely open source and is encouraging schools around the world to get involved, downloading its telemetry, blueprints and technical data) is Rolex and the legendary Swiss watch maker has today presented the two primary instruments that will aid Green's progress across the desert floor.
To the left of the wheel (yes, Bloodhound has a steering wheel; it's a car) lies the speedometer, which rather excitingly goes all the way to 11 and is graduated in 100mph increments. To the right is a chronometer, which will aid Green in making the necessary second return run in under one hour - vital if the record is to officially stand.
Both instruments will have to remain aloof and undisturbed as the car accelerates from 0-1000-0 again in under a minute, dealing with the stresses and vibrations of a car that, thanks to both a jet engine and a rocket engine, can out-accelerate the bullet from a .357 Magnum revolver.
Mr Arnaud Boetsch, Communication & image Director of Rolex SA, said: "As the leading luxury watchmaking brand, Rolex felt the nature and the global appeal of the partnership with Bloodhound SSC was of clear interest and in line with Rolex's strategy to partner with projects that have strong symbolic value.
"The Bloodhound SSC project is one of the most highly technological global initiatives driven by a spirit of extraordinary human endeavour. The association marks Rolex's support for projects that share a passion for performance and precision, founded on their pursuit of excellence in technology and innovative engineering.
"Given Rolex's history in the world of speed, which goes back to an association with Sir Malcolm Campbell during his World Land Speed Record successes in the 1930s, and Bloodhound SSC's mission to inspire the next generation to embrace science and technology, the partnership with Bloodhound SSC is a natural fit."
Andy Green, Bloodhound SSC driver, said: "Bloodhound SSC is a project with strong symbolic values, not only designing and building the fastest car on earth but ultimately inspiring the next generation to take on careers in science and technology. We are delighted to have Rolex supporting this project both from a technical and inspirational point of view.
"We were looking to have independent and reliable devices to measure speed and time during the record attempt. These high-precision instruments will not only give me a visual reference of the speed, both in acceleration and most importantly on braking, but also help during the precise turnaround the car will have to go through in a limited time. Given their technical and engineering expertise, Rolex was the perfect partner to develop such unique and important instruments."
Anything else?
With this sponsorship and technical partnership, Rolex has a virtual lockout on top-level global motor sport. It's the official timing partner for Formula One and Le Mans as well.