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Our Favorite Watch and Carmaker Tie-Ins
In many ways, wristwatches and automobiles have grown up together.
Both really came into their own at the beginning of the 20th century and have since exploded into two of the biggest industries in the world.
Moreover, there is often a significant overlap in their two target audiences. Big watch fans are often big car fans too, and vice versa, each drawn to the particular intricacies in design and spellbinding engineering evident in both, never mind the disparity in scale.
It only seems fitting, then, that these massively varied and dynamic institutions should pair up now and again and produce collaborative products. And some of them turn out to be very special indeed.
Below we list a few of our favorites.
IWC and Mercedes-AMG
The luxury Swiss watch brand and the archetypal German carmaker have enjoyed one of the longest affiliations in the industry, first joining forces 20-years ago in 2004. So successful, in fact, has been the association that in 2013, IWC became the ‘Official Engineering Partner’ of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team as well.
There have been numerous limited editions released over the years celebrating the highly profitable association between the two. Most of these have been confined to IWC’s celebrated pilot watch collection, such as the fearsome IWC Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63, inspired by the iconic G-Wagon off-roader, or the Ingenieur series, the range of antimagnetic models originally created for scientists and technicians, à la Rolex’s Milgauss and Omega’s Railmaster, which was relaunched in 2005.
The latest editions, however, have become real favorites. Late last year we were treated to two new models, the first being the IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG, a Grade 5 titanium model with vertically-arranged chrono counters and a day-date at the three o’clock. The other piece, snappily titled the IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, is similar in form but constructed from the brand’s proprietary high tech alloy Ceratanium. A different type of titanium, the metal is given a special thermal treatment which lends it a unique matte black finish. The Formula One edition is also distinguishable by the bright turquoise accents on its minute track, seconds hand and date disc, taken from the colors of the F1 team itself.
Both watches feature tachymeter bezels for race timing and each keeps the co-branding admirably subtle. Nothing dial side hints at IWC’s collaboration partner, with only some text and logos etched into the sapphire case back when you turn it over.
Available on either metal bracelets or rubber straps, prices for the Performance Chronograph 41 AMG start at $9,800 while the Ceratanium Formula One model retails from $13,700.
TAG Heuer and Porsche
When you remember that the most famous offerings from both these manufactures have been sharing a name for decades, it can come as a surprise that TAG Heuer and Porsche only officially joined forces for the first time in 2021.
It is even more remarkable when you consider the duo’s undoubted mutual passion for motorsports, with ‘Carrera’ adorning one of the most timeless and celebrated sportscars ever made, as well as a legendary collection of classic racer’s watches.
The initial creation of this new teaming was the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph, a 44mm special edition based on their long-running Carrera series.
With classy red accents, including Porsche’s logo taking up the one o’clock position on the tachy bezel, a strongly grained dial fashioned to evoke the look of a racetrack’s asphalt surface and Arabic numerals in the carmaker’s own font, there was no doubt over who was involved. Two limited edition versions were released in 2022, both DLC-coated with either red or yellow colorway detailing.
More recently, we have seen the glorious TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche, very much a 42mm love letter from Heuer to the early Porsche 911s. Both the styling and the watch’s chronograph operation are packed full of details taken from the vintage cars. For instance, even apart from the ‘Carrera’ script in the classic font, the chrono counters have been given retro VDO gauge-type redlines as you would find on early 911 dashboards.
Far more intriguingly, however, the chronograph’s 60-second numerals around the outer portion of the double chapter ring encircling the dial are set out irregularly. Seconds 1-10 run from the 12 o’clock to just beyond the 4 o’clock position and are also marked in red on the inner portion of the chapter ring. Why is that?
Apparently it is a nostalgic nod to the original Porsche 901 released in 1963 which achieved a 0-62mph (0-100kph) time of 9.1 seconds.
From there to the 30 second mark stretches from the 4 o’clock to the 9 o’clock before condensing the second half of the minute into the final quarter of the ring. Of course, the central seconds hand still goes round the dial once every minute but it means that the movement has to make allowances for the strange markings—running the hand quickly for the initial 9.1 seconds, slowing it down for the jaunt round to 30 then slowing it down even more to crawling pace for the last 30-seconds. Take a look at the TAG website for an interactive play with the watch, it’s actually a lot of fun. Is it any use as a chronometer? Probably not.
Two variants of the Chronosprint have been released so far. In steel with a shimmering silver dial the watch costs around $9,000, or for the 5N solid rose gold with beige dial model expect to part with about $23,000.
Breitling and Bentley
What was the longest-running watch and carmaker tie-in was also, arguably, the most well-known.
Swiss brand Breitling were partnered with that paragon of Britishness, Bentley, from 2002 all the way up to 2021.
The relationship started when the luxury car firm, for the first time ever, sought outside assistance with the dashboard clock for one of their creations, the luxury grand tourer, the Continental GT. Turning to Breitling was a natural, the manufacture having been at the forefront of both chronograph development and onboard timers for cars and aircraft since the 1920s.
The elegantly sporty clock they produced for the Continental was so well received, it bred an entirely new line of co-branded wristwatches. And, with Breitling taking up the role of main sponsor for Team Bentley when the marque returned to the Le Mans 24-hour race in 2003, the commemorative Bentley Le Mans Limited Edition Chronograph became the first in a long line of superb models.
Over the years, there have been around 10 different collections in the Breitling for Bentley portfolio, along with several limited editions. Across the vast majority, you will find a number of details the watches share with certain features included on the cars themselves. The knurled bezels common to many of the ranges, for example, are a tribute to the signature Bentley radiator grill.
With only a handful of exceptions, Breitling’s Bentley watches were chronographs, as you would expect. But other complications were regularly included too. There were various GMT pieces and World Timers, along with perpetual calendars and, of course, the extraordinary Mulliner Tourbillon. Named after Bentley’s celebrated coachbuilder, the oldest such establishment on earth, the enormous 48.7mm watch was tailored to each customer’s exact specifications. Clients could stipulate a case in platinum or any color of gold, along with the precise shade of dial and strap. They even had a choice of six veneers for the precious wooden ring on the case back. A tourbillon chronograph movement, the hand wound Breitling Caliber 18B, regulated it all and each of the made-to-order pieces retailed for $262,000.
All of the different models were exceptional, but if I was forced to pick a favorite, I would probably plump for the Flying B Jump Hour. I’m a sucker for rectangular watches at the best of times, and a quirky jumping hour complication makes this one particularly interesting. Here, the knurled grille detailing is brought inboard to frame the eccentric dials rather than on the surrounding bezel and, best of all, they can be bought these days for around $5,000.
The attainment of absolute precision and excellence are ambitions shared by watchmakers and carmakers both. It is no wonder then that the two disciplines have so often found themselves drawn into partnership with one another, and the resulting timepieces have frequently been extraordinary. The best ones represent the combined values and strengths of each party, appealing to the perfectionist and speedster in all of us.
Featured Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Mixed art by Oriol Mendivil.
