Throughout their history, many luxury watch brands have forged special links with the automotive world. Whether through watches inspired by iconic racing cars, sponsorship contracts or simple collaborations, cars – vectors of performance, innovation and design – appeal as much to speed enthusiasts as to lovers of exclusive timepieces.
With Netflix airing a 6-episode mini-series dedicated to the legendary Brazilian driver – and eternal TAG Heuer ambassador – Ayrton Senna, 30 years after the tragic death of this three-time world champion – and holder of 41 grand prix victories and 65 pole positions – on the Imola circuit during the San Marino Grand Prix, it’s too good an opportunity not to revisit the intimate link between many watchmakers and the automotive world.
After all, the world of watches shares with motorcars an exacerbated concern for high precision, mechanical engineering and design.
In the early days, watchmaking in the automotive world was essentially on-board, attached to the dashboard, steering wheel or central rear-view mirror. In 1918, the Biel-based Mido brand drew inspiration for its dials directly from the radiators of Bugatti, Lancia and Delage racing cars, once again criss-crossing thepost-war European countryside.
It wasn’t long before watches were fitted with rotating crowns or domed cases to make them easier to read for a whole generation of emerging drivers.
However, it wasn’t until 1940 that the first racing drivers began to measure their performance with unprecedented precision. Timekeeping was born, generating several decades of sponsorship for races and other automotive events. From then on, watchmakers were constantly seeking to associate their name or certain models with certain competitions, or even with an established manufacturer.
TAG Heuer
Owned by the LVMH group since 1999, TAG Heuer has a long history in sports timekeeping, particularly in the world of motor racing. The Swiss watchmaker, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, has been the official timekeeper for numerous Formula 1 races and the World Rally Championship. The brand has been associated with iconic watchmaking moments, such as the Monaco chronograph, launched in 1969 and worn by actor Steve McQueen in the cult film Le Mans (1971). In 1988, the brand passed a milestone by becoming the official watchmaking partner for all Senna products, and in 1993, racing driver Ayrton Senna, a devotee of the chronograph S/EL (Sport & Elegance), became a brand ambassador.
In the roaring world of F1 racing, TAG Heuer has chosen to support the Porsche team in addition to Red Bull Racing.
Much more than a simple sponsorship contract, the brand has forged a number of collaborations with the German sports car manufacturer, both in the Porsche Carrera Cup competition and in product development through co-branded watches. In their respective fields, these include the Heuer Carrera and the Porsche 911 Carrera.
The latest addition to the collection, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport incorporates the cutting-edge TH 20-09 movement. Its bi-material construction combining 18 K SN rose gold on its 44 mm case, bezel and crown, offers a striking contrast to its DLC-coated titanium.
In fact, the brand founded in 1860’s most distinctive automotive heritage is undoubtedly the TAG Heuer Carrera, a true benchmark in luxury chronographs. Created in 1963 by Jack Heuer, the sleek, stainless-steel case was inspired by the equally famous and, at the time, highly dangerous Carrera Panamericana, an automobile competition held in the middle of the Mexican jungle. Right from its launch, this cult timepiece was equipped with a tachometric bezel, enabling drivers to calculate their average speed. In 2023, the timepiece celebrated its 60th birthday with a campaign immortalizing the arrival of Canadian star Ryan Gosling at the wheel of a 1973 Chevrolet Malibu in the film Drive.
Breitling
Celebrating 140 years of creations this year, the pioneer of the modern chronograph, Breitling, has collaborated with several automobile brands over the years, most notably Bentley. The Breitling for Bentley partnership gave birth to a whole series of watches.
In 2002, Breitling launched the dashboard clock for the first Bentley Continental GT. With its refined, automotive-inspired design, the Breitling Bentley Motors Chronograph wasted no time in winning the favor of luxury watch and high-end car enthusiasts. The Breitling Bentley B06 followed with an in-house Breitling calibre B06 movement featuring a chronograph function offering 1/8th-second precision. The watches in the Breitling for Bentley collection featured knurled bezels with patterns reminiscent of radiator grills. Add to this elegant, textured dials in colors and materials matching their wheel-mounted models (wood, leather, aluminum…) and you have a collection whose partnership ended in 2021. For its final release, the Maison founded in Saint-Imier in 1884, has launched a limited edition watch: the Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley.
Bovet
Less well known than its peers, Swiss watchmaker Bovet has partnered since 2010 with Pininfarina, the famous coachbuilder and automotive designer who has worked for Ferrari, Maserati and other prestigious brands. The result is a series of watches inspired by automotive aesthetics and performance. These included the Bovet Ottanta Tourbillon (2010), celebrating 80 years of Pininfarina. Other models have followed, such as the Bovet Ottantasei (2016) and the Bovet Battista Tourbillon (2020).
Rolls Royce is the other manufacturer to work with the Fleurier-based watchmaker. A unique collection released in 2021 to coincide with the launch of the Rolls Royce BoatTail, the two Bovet 1822 Rolls Royce models embody all the aesthetics of the British manufacturer.
Featuring the patented Amadeo system, the timepieces are reversible and can be converted into a wristwatch, a pocket watch/pendant, a desk clock.. . and even a real dashboard clock. Design, materials and motifs are all personalized and evocative of the automotive world.
Jacob & Co
Jacob & Co entered the automotive world with the Bugatti Chiron supercar. The design elements and mechanisms of the pieces in this collaboration were inspired by Bugatti cars, including the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon.
This latest model reproduces a functional miniaturized engine inspired by the 16-cylinder W16 engine. By activating the mechanism, pistons and crankshafts perfectly reproduce the movements of the supercar’s engine. Its transparent sapphire case is reminiscent of the supercar’s translucent support, allowing you to literally see under the hood. Finally, the model features a tourbillon. This watchmaking complication helps compensate for the effects of gravity on the precision of the movement. The watchmaker went even further with the entirely transparent sapphire crystal case of the Bugatti Chiron Sapphire, offering a breathtaking 360° view.
Urwerk
Not tied to any sponsorship contract or specific racing team, independent Swiss watchmaker Urwerk also sees motorsport as a source of imagination.
A true outsider in the luxury watchmaking world, Urwerk shares an immoderate taste for futuristic design, some would even say neo-retro, this rereading of the past in the light of today’s technologies.
A case in point is the latest model in its UR-220 collection, a tribute to the roaring, blinged-out 1980s series Miami Vice. Equipped with a 4N gold bracelet and a white strap, it was seen in 2022 on the wrist of basketball player Michael Jordan. It’s halfway between the off-board and the immaculate Ferrari Testarossa of the famous police officer, operating under the cover of a yuppie with an opulent lifestyle, Sonny Crockett, played by Don Johnson, then in his heyday.
Beyond this example, the Urwerk universe is often inspired by vehicle instruments and dashboards. Its models are composed of mechanical parts from sports cars, such as three-dimensional dials, visible bridges or, in the case of the UR-111C, moving parts. Like the automotive world, Urwerk also innovates in the legibility of its dials, using rotating satellites, discs or cylinders. The UR-105 CT Streamliner’s aerodynamic design is reminiscent of sports car vents and air flows.
Read also > [Luxus Magazine] A short history of luxury: TAG Heuer’s Carrera watch
Featured Photo: © TAG Heuer
