TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition

5 minutes read
Enter the strongest-ever partnership between a car manufacturer and a watch band

Fuelled by a common history with innovation and motor racing at its core, led by visionary families of entrepreneurs, TAG Heuer and Porsche join forces to unveil a partnership that will set a new standard for brand integration

TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition

The Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer and the German sportscar manufacturer Porsche have announced their partnership: an authentic alliance between two brands whose DNA in motorsports and racing forges a holistic and long-term collaboration ranging from competition to product development. A new watch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph, is unveiled as first celebration of the iconic brands.

“TAG Heuer and Porsche have common history and values, of course, but more importantly, we share an attitude," says Frédéric Arnault, TAG Heuer CEO. ”Like Porsche, we are disruptors at heart, always in pursuit of high performance. With this alliance, TAG Heuer and Porsche finally come together officially after decades of close encounters and will create unmatched experiences and products for customers and fans that are passionate about both our brands and what we stand for.”

“The strong friendship of our brand with TAG Heuer exists since decades and I am more than happy that we are now taking the next steps in the frame of a strategic partnership,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “We bring together what our customers love the most about both of us: authentic heritage, thrilling sports events, unique life experiences and the fulfilment of dreams. We both strive to create some unique, magic moments for our communities. We now look forward to doing it together.”

TAG Heuer and Porsche: Two histories – one passion

TAG Heuer and Porsche have a lot in common, from their rich histories and reputations for innovation to cutting-edge technologies, powerful and independent mindset, and a knack for excellence in design. And for over half a century, their stories have intersected in intricate ways.

Of course, the argument can be made that certain similarities of heritage can be traced all the way back to when both companies were founded by self-taught entrepreneurs. Edouard Heuer and Ferdinand Porsche were visionaries and pioneers whose creations changed their chosen fields forever. Heuer was responsible for the first manufactured chronograph and Porsche invented an electric wheel hub motor. Both these accomplishments earned medals at World’s Fairs held in Paris 11 years apart.

A Beautiful Friendship Begins . . . and Flourishes

The true cornerstones of the new partnership, however, are descendants of the brands’ founding fathers. Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst, joined his father’s engineering office in 1931 at the age of 22 and founded the car brand in 1948. Within a few years, the Porsche name would be associated with race track success all around the world – including a class win in the Carrera Panamericana race of 1954. In honour of its participation, Porsche calls its most powerful engine ‘Carrera’.

Edouard Heuer’s great-grandson Jack led his family’s company for decades. In 1963, he created the first Heuer Carrera chronograph. This ground-breaking timepiece and Porsche’s most powerful Carrera engine united Porsche and Heuer in the spirit of the ‘Carrera’ (or ‘race’), which embodied ambition, speed and technical excellence.

TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition

Jack Heuer was also responsible for the Heuer Monaco, the first square-faced, water-resistant automatic chronograph watch. Its name evoked the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the Principality’s Monte Carlo Rally, which Porsche won in three consecutive years, from 1968 to 1970, with its signature 911 model. Just as the Porsche 911 had done for automobiles, the Heuer Monaco broke with the familiar design codes of traditional watchmaking.

The Heuer Monaco’s innovations had come at a significant financial cost and as an alternative to an expensive advertising campaign, Jack Heuer further cemented his brand’s link to Porsche with a creative sponsorship arrangement with a Switzerland-based racing driver and Porsche dealer, Jo Siffert. It was this connection that led Steve McQueen to wear the Heuer logo on his racing suit during the filming of Le Mans in 1970, in which he drove a Porsche 917. “I drive the same car as Jo Siffert, and I want to wear the same suit as him,” said at the time the american actor.

Celebrating a partnership: The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph

Carrera: an icon of a name that has been associated with TAG Heuer and Porsche for generations – so it was a natural choice for the first creative product collaboration. A tribute to the heritage of two legendary brands, both on and off the racetrack, the new chronograph offers a first glimpse at what they can achieve together.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is an exquisite example of coordination, cooperation and collaboration. Based on TAG Heuer’s Carrera Sport Chronograph design, with its distinctive tachymeter scale engraved on the bezel, it introduces a number of features inspired by Porsche’s design essence. An union of two icons of performance, quality, and innovation, this chronograph is a seamless blend of the Porsche and TAG Heuer universes, reflecting the excellence of both names without diluting the essence of either.

TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition

Porsche’s engraved inscription is visible on the bezel and the unmistakable font is also used for the indexes. The Porsche colours of red, black, and grey are incorporated throughout the watch, and on clear display through the transparent cristal case back is the oscillating mass, which has been redesigned in affectionate tribute to Porsche’s celebrated steering wheel. It is printed with “Porsche” and “TAG Heuer”. The dial’s asphalt effect, created especially for this watch, perfectly expresses a passion for the road, while Arabic numerals suggest the numbers on the dashboard of fine Porsche sportscars.

This ground-breaking timepiece is presented either on a soft strap in luxurious calf leather and innovative stitching that echoes the Porsche interior or on an interlocking bracelet reflecting streamlined racing design. At the heart of the timepiece is the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The chronograph mechanism’s vertical clutch and column wheel demonstrate the brands’ unflinching demand for absolute precision.

Finally, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is a Special Edition watch and is delivered in bespoke packaging with colours and a style consistent with the remarkable watch inside. The black watch box features the logos of TAG Heuer and Porsche in white. Inside the box is a perfectly-sized black travel pouch with the Porsche red interior.

The official partnership between TAG Heuer and Porsche may be on its starting line but it has been built on a remarkable foundation: the shared heritage and the common interests of two of the world’s favourite and most dynamic luxury brands. It is a true collaboration developed over decades on some of the world’s most challenging racetracks and on the wrists of drivers who were the very embodiment of Jack Heuer’s motto, “Time doesn’t stop. Why should we?”

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