Scout Motors Trademark Fight Stops Sales of an $875 WatchAutoblogEarl LeeThu, September 10, 2026 at 9:31 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleAutoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Automaker vs. WatchmakerIn the latest automotive brand versus the world news, Scout Motors is currently in a trademark dispute with Astor+Banks, a watch brand that specializes in neo-classic timepieces, with one latest models being the Terra Scout – A.K.A. the model in question.There is indeed a similarity. Both Scout Motors and Astor+Banks have "scout" in the name, with one being a brand and the other a model. The automaker has threatened the watchmaker with legal action over the name of its mechanical watch, citing that the Terra Scout name "conflicts with their automotive brand identity," Astor+Banks mentioned in an Instagram post.A screenshot posted on Reddit showing Astor+Banks' response to the legal threat from Scout Motors – now deleted Reddit"Entirely Different Worlds"On the one hand, you could say cars and watches go 'hand and wrist' together, but realistically, the two industries only associate from time to time. If you know a thing or two about horology, field watches were used in the military, some of which were in the hands of 'scouts.' According to Andrew Perez, founder of Astor+Banks, the Terra Scout was "built to carry on the legacy of the classic military field watch."AdvertisementAdvertisementLater in his statement, he said, "Scout Motors has filed a legal claim against Astor+Banks, asserting that the Terra Scout name conflicts with their automotive brand identity," Perez said. He continued, "We believe this claim has no merit," and said the two companies will not overlap since they are in different industries.Because of Scout Motor's legal challenge, Astor+Banks had to pause sales of the Terra Scout while the brand sorts out this legal debacle. The Terra Scout watch starts at a pre-order price of $875, and it goes up from there if customers choose a snazzier limited edition. After the pre-orders, the MSRP was supposed to be set at a respectable range of $995 to $1,195. Now, however, customers have to wait to get this watch on their wrist because a car company is busy trying to protect its IP, even if it hasn't fully come back from the dead yet.Astor+Banks also said existing customer pre-orders will receive updates as the situation develops. Customers who don't want to wait for the dust to settle can request a refund, which Astor+Banks will oblige.Astor+BanksView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleScout Motors: No CommentCarscoops tried to reach Scout Motors for comment, but received no reply. On the one hand, a watch and a car don't really have anything to do with one another; on the other hand, Scout Motors is looking very serious about bringing its brand back into iconic status, so much so that an independent watchmaker has to go on the defensive.AdvertisementAdvertisementAside from the trademark dispute, Scout Motors has been going "full steam ahead" already teasing models like the Traveler, so you could say that the brand is hard at work trying to make up for lost time – and maybe doing it a little too literally. However, Scout Motors also has a nameplate called the "Terra." The Scout Terra pickup truck is the closest in name to the timepiece (Terra Scout). The Scout Terra nameplate will likely be the main talking point and the elephant to address in the courtroom.For now, we'll have to wait and see how this situation develops. It's up to the lawyers to sort this out, so we'll keep an eye on it. We can still expect the Scout Terra and the Scout Traveler in the near future as the Volkswagen-backed, soon-to-be-revived Scout Motors brand returns as an off-road EV specialist. The return is likely to be unhindered unless Astor+Banks and their Terra Scout decide to mount a countersuit; though unlikely, it could prove to be a roadblock for the Scout Terra if it happened.Honestly, I wouldn't mind driving a Scout Terra with a Terra Scout on my wrist. The two look good together. Why can't we just all get along? Scout MotorsThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Sep 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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