7 collaborations between watch and car brands
What do watch and car manufacturers have in common?
First, a complex mechanism consisting of hundreds of elements, hidden from view by the body or hood lid. Therefore, close attention to detail, uncompromisingly high quality, and a constant search for new engineering solutions and materials are important for watchmakers and motorists. Common values form the basis of time-tested tandems and very recent partnerships. The result of cooperation is interesting developments at the intersection of automotive and watchmaking.
One of the first big news of 2021 was the announcement of a long-term partnership between TAG Heuer and Porsche. The companies have known each other for a long time, meeting each other on a variety of racetracks for decades and helping racers achieve outstanding results through a shared passion for motorsports. Now they will do it together. The first joint model was the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph in the common colors of the brands, with a self-winding rotor stylized as a Porsche steering wheel, and a dial in the shade and texture of asphalt on a racing track.
Another fresh partnership has been struck between the ancient Girard-Perregaux manufacture and the legendary British luxury automaker Aston Martin, beloved by 007. The Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges chronometer is dedicated to a 19th-century Girard-Perregaux pocket watch with three signature bridges that look like super modern. The titanium case with black DLC coating, sandwiched between two sapphire crystals, houses a mechanism with three “floating” bridges - they are also made of blackened titanium.
“We are delighted to entrust the Aston Martin team with our most iconic timepiece, thereby creating an innovative platform in the world of Haute Horlogerie,” says the watch brand’s CEO Patrick Pruneau. — Air intakes and ventilation grilles in Aston Martin cars perform a decorative function and are functional elements. Likewise, the three Girard-Perregaux bridges have been transformed from functional movement parts, often hidden from view, into attractive aesthetic elements.”
In addition to 18 examples of the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges - Aston Martin Edition chronometers, the company presented the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition watch. Their signature feature is an Aston Martin Green dial with a diamond engraving inspired by the strokes of the brand's historic logo from the 1920s. The series is limited to 188 pieces.
A beautiful joint story was created by the Bovet 1822 watch house and the Rolls-Royce concern , specializing in the production of custom-made cars. These companies have many common clients-collectors - in fact, one of them ordered a Rolls-Royce car for himself and his wife and a couple of watches with a tourbillon for it. Thanks to the patented system, Amadeo easily converts from a wrist-mounted device to a pocket-sized or desktop-mounted one that can be mounted on the dashboard. This means that their fastening must be as reliable as possible, resistant to vibrations and temperature changes. The result is a pair of exceptional reversible watches, for men and women, that are an extension of the bespoke Rolls-Royce Boat Tail model.
Both dials feature hand-carved Caleidolegno ebony marquetry (also used in the Boat Tail) and the owner's name, as well as a hand-carved Rolls-Royce "Spirit of Ecstasy" figurine on the tourbillon bridge. On the reverse side, the men's watch has an aventurine dial with an individual star map of the owner. The mother-of-pearl dial of the women's watch is decorated with a picturesque miniature in the form of a flower bouquet. A couple of other notable details include a miniature Boat Tail sculpture, varnished to match the car, and an engraved spouse's name on the hand-polished tourbillon bridge.
The end of 2021 marked the end of a long and fruitful collaboration between Breitling and Bentley, which lasted 19 years. In 2002, the Swiss brand began developing an on-board clock for the first Bentley Continental GT. The latest collaboration is the Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition with a Bentley Green dial, limited to 25 pieces.
However, the automotive theme is still relevant for the watch company. One of the important premieres was the Breitling Top Time Classic Cars capsule collection, inspired by the icons of the American automobile industry, the classic supercars of the 1960s. Each of the three Top Time Classic Cars automatic chronographs is inspired by one of the cars - the red Chevrolet Corvette, the green Ford Mustang and the blue Shelby Cobra.
The history of the tandem between IWC Schaffhausen and the manufacturer of powerful sports cars Mercedes-AMG dates back to 2004. Over the past 17 years, the Pilot's Watch Chronograph collection has produced many special editions. The most recent one, the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition “AMG,” received a titanium case for the first time. This metal is not only lightweight and technologically advanced: aesthetically, it is reminiscent of the brand's signature color, AMG Selenite Gray Magno. AMG's aerodynamic components are often made from carbon fiber - the new watch opted to make the dial from carbon fiber with a clear geometric pattern.
Extravagant brands Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini found each other five years ago and began jointly producing bright, high-tech Excalibur watches, inspired by the brutal aesthetics of Italian racing supercars. The design of the Excalibur Spider Huracán echoes the hexagonal dashboard of the Lamborghini Huracán, the caliber bridge resembles the strut braces of a car suspension, and the crown resembles the racing nuts on the wheels of a supercar. Let us add that the functional lightweight watch is made of snow-white ceramic composite fiber (this material is 20% lighter than carbon), into which a luminescent substance was introduced using a special technology.
The result of a five-year collaboration between the Swiss watch brand Richard Mille and the British supercar manufacturer McLaren Automotive is a limited edition of 106 RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon McLaren Speedtail watches. The figure corresponds to a series of 106 futuristic Speedtail hypercars. The sleek three-seater gran tourism is capable of speeds of up to 400 km/h and is considered the fastest non-racing car McLaren has ever built. The watch case, made of titanium and carbon TPT, reproduces the shape of a drop of water, the bezel relief resembles the hood openings, and the buttons resemble the air vents behind the front wheels of a hypercar.
