The latest partnership between the two legendary brands has produced a brand-new limited-edition timepiece, aimed at fans of both Porsche and Tag Heuer. We take a look at what makes the partnership and the timepiece special.
Motorsports depend on the very idea of timekeeping to an extent that the absence of the timekeeper would simply mean the non-existence of motorsports because there would be no way to determine who won in a race. And perhaps because of this intrinsic relationship between motorsports and timekeeping from its very early days, various brands have not only shown keen interest in becoming motorsports timekeeping partners but have also developed timepieces for racing drivers and fans alike.
A long association
Tag Heuer, of course, has been a timekeeper of note at various significant racing events around the world. And many of its watches in the past – the Carrera and Monaco, for instance – were directly inspired by motorsports and cars. Now, Porsche has been a partner of the Swiss brand for ages, and together they’ve gone from developing cutting-edge, and championship-winning, turbocharged Formula 1 engines to partnering in various racing championships, such as World Endurance Championship and Formula E. It comes as no surprise, then, that the two companies have come together to launch a limited-edition Carrera chronograph.
Bespoke design cues
Based on the distinctive design of Tag Heuer’s Carrera lineup, the Porsche Carrera chronograph features a tachymeter scale on its ceramic bezel, with ‘Porsche’ engraved in red to distinguish it from the tachymeter markings. The dial of the timepiece has also been custom created to mimic the asphalt of racing tracks, which lends the watch a particularly striking appearance. And the Arabic numerals on the dial, resembling the digits on dashboard counters of Porsche sportscars, further enhance its overall appeal.
The rest of the dial design also features various touches to honour the partnership, such as red tips on the second and sub-register hands and a black finish on the sub-dials. Another design touch that I really like is the oscillating mass on display through a sapphire crystal case back, which has been styled like the steering wheel of a Porsche and features both Tag Heuer and Porsche branding on it. Also, on display, is the Heuer 02 Automatic movement, which powers the timepiece with a power reserve of 80 hours.
While the Porsche Carrera chronograph remains on the larger side of things, with a 44mm diameter, the combination of the black bezel, polished and brushed steel case, and asphalt inspired dial makes it a striking looking watch – something that will certainly appeal to fans of both brands.
