The Tag Heuer and Porsche Partnership: Over 50 Years of Collaboration

The Tag Heuer and Porsche Partnership: Over 50 Years of Collaboration

In February 2021, world-renowned Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer and iconic German automobile manufacturer, Porsche announced their newest collaboration in the form of the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition, an exceptional timepiece that combines the high-quality performance and style exemplified by both brands. 

Although this is the companies’ first joint product production, they have collaborated in one form or another many times. Their histories and passions have several points in common. Car enthusiasts and watch aficionados will be thrilled by this official coming together of two powerhouse brands. To celebrate the occasion, let’s look at where this partnership began.

Introducing the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph

Although these luxury manufacturing titans have crossed paths over the decades, in 2021, these two beloved brands are finally coming together in an official partnership. This monumental occasion is being marked by the production of a new watch: The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph. Referencing both brands’ relationships with the Carrera Panamericana and the heritage of some of their most successful products, the new watch’s name perfectly encapsulates what brings both companies together.

It’s no surprise that the first product these premium brands have built together lives up to the standards of excellence, accuracy, and design that the world has come to expect. This impressive timepiece is a shining example of things yet to come as the collaboration of these powerhouses continues.

A Closer Look at the New Carrera Chronograph

Every element of the new Carrera Chronograph has been designed to bring together the best features of a classic Porsche automobile and a quintessential TAG Heuer timepiece. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this watch a piece any horological enthusiast would be interested in.

Besides stylish aesthetics that manage to be both timeless and contemporary, both Porsche and TAG Heuer’s products are synonymous with impressive performance and reliable accuracy, and this collaborative timepiece is no exception. 

With its in-house Caliber Heuer 02 manufacture movement and exceptional 80-hour power reserve, this piece epitomizes precision timekeeping. This beautiful mechanism can be appreciated by the wearer thanks to the 44mm case’s clear crystal back. Car lovers will be delighted to note that the oscillating mass has been designed to emulate a Porsche steering wheel, printed with both the Porsche and TAG Heuer names.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph exterior is as impressive as the mechanics: this is a stylish watch that marries design features present in both luxury Porsche vehicles and TAG Heuer timepieces. 

The first thing you may notice about the watch is the dial’s appealing asphalt effect, explicitly created for this piece. This design detail highlights both companies’ love of car racing. These racing references are found at various points on the dial and, indeed, all over the watch, but they have managed to do so without it appearing gimmicky. An example of this is the choice of Arabic numerals, and specifically their design, which evokes the dashboard of a fine Porsche automobile.

While the TAG Heuer logo, so recognizable for watch and car racing lovers alike, appears in the center of the watch’s stylish dial, Porsche’s logo is instead placed on the black ceramic bezel, where it stands out in bold red. This helps keep the dial clean, sleek, and easy to read. Also featured on the bezel is a tachymeter scale in the same iconic Porsche font.

This sporty watch embraces Porsche’s traditional color combination of red, black, and gray, echoing the shades seen in classic Heuer models. The distinctive TAG Heuer logo can also be found in unexpected spots, such as the strap clasp and crown. The interlocking strap itself is made from luxurious black calf leather and features stitching that is a deliberate call to the Porsche’s plush interior. Like any high-quality TAG Heuer timepiece, this watch will last you a lifetime as long as you treat it well and get it serviced from time to time.

A Brief History of Watchmaker TAG Heuer

The well-respected Swiss watch brand, TAG Heuer, known as Heuer until the TAG group became majority stakeholders in 1985, was founded in 1860 by the 20-year-old son of a shoemaker, Edouard Heuer. The company was granted its first patent just nine years later for a keyless, crown-operated winding system for pocket watches. 

This early foray into horological invention marks the beginning of a long history of groundbreaking innovation that still characterizes the brand some 160 years later. Some of Heuer’s oldest inventions are still in use today, such as their oscillating pin, patented in 1887, which can be found in many contemporary mechanical chronographs.

In 1916 Heuer launched the first stopwatch that was accurate to an impressive 1⁄100 of a second, dubbed the Mikrograph, and shortly after, the Semikrograph, which accurately measured two events at the same time. Through these inventions, Heuer became deeply involved in the world of sport, even becoming the official timekeeper at several Olympic Games. By 2012, they had improved on the Mikrograph tenfold as they introduced the Mikrotimer Flying 1000, which could measure timing to a mindblowing 1⁄1000 of a second.

In the 1930s, Heuer used its chronographing skills to branch out into the production of dash counters for aircraft, boats, and racing cars, launching the AUTOVIA. This was the start of a long relationship with motorsports. Having worked with key racing teams, Aston Martin, Red Bull Racing, the Ferrari F1 team, McLaren, Audi, and Nissan, to name a few, Heuer has established itself as a go-to watch brand in the motorsports industry.

A Brief History of Automobile Manufacturer Porsche 

In 1931 Austrian-German automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche joined forces with businessman Adolf Rosenberger and lawyer Anton Piëch to found Porsche’s first iteration, named “Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmBH.” The company initially functioned as a consultancy firm and did not initially produce its own automobiles. 

The company’s first notable project was borne out of a German government assignment to design a car for the people: the overwhelmingly popular Volkswagen Beetle. During WWII,  a Volkswagen Beetle model adapted for the military was produced. After the war, Ferdinand’s son, Ferry Porsche, took over the company and developed his own car, the first Porsche sports car: the aerodynamic 356.

Ferry Porsche catapulted the company into the world of car racing, where it has firmly remained until this day. It is estimated that an astonishing 24,000 auto races around the globe have been won in Porsche cars. This includes more than 50 class wins at Le Mans, the world’s oldest active endurance sports car race, lasting 24 hours. 

Porsche is one of the most successful automobile companies globally, with sales growing annually. They have succeeded in this by retaining their level of excellence while modernizing with the times. For instance, in 2019, they debuted their first fully electric vehicle, the Taycan.

Alongside their regular automobile production, design company Porsche Design was launched, producing luxury goods such as sunglasses, furniture, and watches. Porsche Design’s created their first watch, a chronograph made in blackened steel. Since then, Porsche has collaborated with various luxury watch brands, including IWC, Eterna, Chopard, and now, TAG Heuer.

The Influence of Famous Car Races

TAG Heuer and Porsche’s histories have overlapped and run parallel to each other many times, making their eventual collaboration inevitable. This is reflected in both the company’s relationships with the Carrera Panamericana, an open road sedan and sports car racing event that ran from 1950 to 1954. 

The 2,178 mile long Carrera Panamericana (the Pan-American Race) began in Ciudad Juárez close to the Texan border and ended in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc by the Guatemalan border, was considered to be the most dangerous event of its type in the world. In 1954, Porsche achieved a class win in the race and, to honor the event, the company gave its most powerful sports car engine the name “Carrera.” Porsche has used the Carrera in several of its models, most notably the 356, the 911, and the 904, and the Porsche Carrera GT placed number eight on the list of the Top Sports Cars of All Time.

Porsche was not the only brand inspired by the exotic Carrera Panamericana; in 1963, Heuer unveiled their Carrera chronograph at the Basel watch fair. The Carrera didn’t just take the race’s name; it was cleverly designed to allow drivers to tell the time at a glance no matter their speed, taking factors such as ergonomics and readability into account. The timepiece was an instant international success and remains one of the brand’s most beloved watches.

The Carrera is not TAG Heuer’s only watch inspired by a car race. Examples include the Heuer Monaco, evocative of the Monaco Grand Prix and Monte Carlo Rally (a race which Porsche won for three consecutive years), and the Formula 1. The latter was TAG Heuers’ first quartz-only analog watch.

When Heuer and Porsche Met in Hollywood

In the 1970s, Heuer and Porsche’s paths crossed again in a piece of cinema history. In 1970, Steve McQueen, undoubtedly one of the biggest movie stars of the day, filmed Le Mans, a passion project based on the famous endurance race of the same in name. 

In the film, McQueen drives a Porsche, just like Swiss car racer Jo Siffert, and wears a Heuer patch on his overalls. Besides the prominent Heuer patch, McQueen wears a Heuer Monaco throughout the film. Although the film was not an outstanding box office success, the association with a Hollywood star like McQueen gave both companies an extra cachet.

Racing Collaborations

In the mid-eighties, TAG Heuer and Porsche came together once again when they jointly developed the TAG Turbo Engine. The McLaren Formula Team won three consecutive F1 world titles with the TAG Turbo Engine in 1984, 1985, and 1986.

The link between the watch and car companies only became stronger throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium, collaborating on events such as the Endurance World Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup. More recently, in 2019, Porsche put together its own Formula E team, including TAG Heuer as the title and timing partner.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team currently consists of drivers Pascal Wehrlein, André Lotterer, Simona de Silvestro, and Thomas Preining. The team competed in the 2019-2020 World Championship season in Porche’s all-electric race car, the 99X Electric, fishing in the eighth position. The race was sponsored by several top brands, including Puma, Hugo Boss, Vodafone, and, notably, TAG Heuer. 

Porsche and TAG Heuer’s partnership has also moved into the virtual world, as TAG Heuer supports the TAG Heuer Esports Supercup. This virtual event race has just entered into its third season, the first of its ten rounds, set on the Brazil Interlagos track, having started on January 9th, 2021. The final round will take place on April 24th, 2021, set on the Italian Monza racetrack.

Embracing Diverse Sporting Passions

One of the strengths that both TAG Heuer and Porsche share is their willingness to diversify, which keeps their brands relevant and allows them to constantly progress. One of their shared passions is sport, particularly golf and tennis.

In 1978, the Woman’s Stuttgart Open, the oldest women’s indoor tennis tournament in Europe, began. Porsche has organized this event since 2002 and now it regularly goes by the name Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The Swiss watch manufacturer will also be present at the event, in an official partner’s capacity for watches and chronographs.

The Porsche brand’s love of golf was made clear when in 2015, they became the title sponsor for the European Open (now the Porsche European Open), one of the most well-respected golf tournaments in Europe, which started in 1978. Just like the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, in 2021, TAG Heuer will be present as a partner, solidifying the Swiss watch manufacturer’s relationship with Porsche across a wide range of arenas. Both companies aim to continue working together on events, including the popular Porsche Experiences, as they deepen their collaboration with the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph.

A Watch Worthy of Icons

Distilling the sleek style and premium performance that both Porsche and TAG Heuer are known for into one exquisite wristwatch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is the product of over 50 years of indirect collaboration and shared passions. These beloved brands, icons in their fields, have come together to produce a timepiece that exemplifies excellence. It was certainly worth the wait.

For a closer look at the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition, explore our collection at Bailey’s Fine Jewelry. If you’re a lover of premium timepieces and beautiful jewelry, you will find a range of wristwatches and fine jewelry to suit your taste and lifestyle. We also offer a wide range of extra services, from watch repair to jewelry engraving. Browse our website for more information.