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FeatureThe Unbreakable Bond Between Cars And Watches

The close link between cars and watches is fascinating, considering the very different purposes they serve. Here we discuss this age-old relationship at length, and explore some of the most iconic collaborations to date

Ajinkya Nair October 31, 2019

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The purpose that automobiles and watches serve are as far away from each other as can be. However, these very distant worlds have one thing in common that keeps them intertwined: their patrons. The Venn diagram between watch collectors and car aficionados shows a sizeable overlap. And they say, if you scratch at the surface of any watch enthusiast, there’s a very real possibility that they obsess over their whips too. Now if you’re an aspiring watch aficionado, you might fail to see the closeness of this link. But in reality, the horological world draws a lot of parallels with the world of automobiles. Just like a car, a watch has an engine, which is its movement. The mainspring barrel could be likened to a car’s fuel tank, the case can be likened to the chassis, and so on. In both these cases, a lot of small, individual parts come together to create a machine with pure mechanical harmony. These easy comparisons could be one reason why they attract similar minds. But that’s not all.

The link between cars and watches runs deeper than just mechanical harmony. What collectors really treasure is the human touch that goes into the creation of these machines

You’d think that carefully analysing the objects, and focusing solely on the mechanics and aesthetics would be the only driving force for seasoned collectors. While that is true to some extent, what collectors really treasure the most is the human touch. Who designed the item, who built it, who owned it previously? But that’s not the only time the human aspect comes into play. Just like a car, a mechanical watch requires human control; to adjust and wind it.

The Motorsport Connection

Motorsports have been among the biggest accelerators for the watch-car crossover. Back in the day, chronograph watches were widely used to time races and calculate speed. This is why most car or motorsport-inspired watches feature a chronograph complication. What immediately comes to mind amid this talk of motorsport are two watches. One is the Heuer Monaco, named after the Monaco Grand Prix and worn by actor Steve McQueen in the film centred around the 24 Hours Of Le Mans race, Le Mans. And the second is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, named after Florida’s famous speedway and worn by generations of racing giants, including Sir Jackie Stewart and Hollywood legend Paul Newman. The success of the genre can be credited to the rampant fame of these two watches. Omega’s Speedmaster would’ve made it to this list too, had it not achieved something much bigger. Motorsport domination was the intended big picture for Omega when the ‘Speedy’ was first launched, but the watch’s stint to the moon and back will forever bind it to NASA’s lunar mission, diverting its path away from its original destiny to serve as a sports chronograph.

The British-Swiss Connection: A Royal Treat

TAG Heuer x Aston Martin

TAG Heuer has been instrumental in making motorsport as big as it is today, with constant support, sponsorships and associations. Through this journey, the watchmaker formed an alliance with British carmaker, Aston Martin. The company has a rich heritage in motorsports, most famously taking the outright victory in Le Mans in 1959 in the DBR1 with Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. The Aston Martin Racing team, in 2018, chose TAG Heuer as its official partner and timekeeper. This has resulted in a couple of timepieces that define the partnership, most notably the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Aston Martin Special Edition. The hexagon-pattern dial of this watch is derived directly from the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera’s front grille.

Breitling x Bentley

Probably the most iconic car-watch partnerships out there is the one between Breitling and Bentley, the British luxury carmaker. Just last year, the two brands renewed their long-running partnership, adding a new chapter to it. The two brands have been working together since 2003, when Breitling became the first watchmaker who was entrusted to design an onboard clock for Bentley’s flagship model—the Continental GT.

Amidst the luxe interiors of a Bentley, you’ll find an equally luxurious Breitling analogue clock on the dashboard

The best-known product of this association has been the erstwhile Breitling For Bentley collection, which was hugely popular. Last year though, Breitling decided to widen that scope and stay open to the possibilities of integrating Bentley thematically into special editions of any of its core product offerings, rather than in just one Breitling for Bentley collection. The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green was one of the first products of this renewed partnership. Powered by Breitling’s calibre 01 in-house mechanical movement, the watch has an impressive 70-hour power reserve. These timepieces also have an engraved plate with a ‘Bentley’ inscription, which is inspired by the dashboard of the historic supercharged 1929 ‘Blower’ Bentley.

The Italian-Swiss Connection: A Passionate Affair

Hublot x Ferrari

Since 2011, the collaboration between Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari and Swiss watchmaker Hublot has bestowed upon us timepieces that honour their luxury pedigree. From variations of the Big Bang to the incredible MP05 LaFerrari and, two years ago, the Techframe—all of these releases were far, far ahead of their game, and showed us the stunning outcome of putting precision and innovation at the forefront. The most recent offering that has resulted from this collaboration is the Classic Fusion Ferrari GT. Ferrari has teamed up with several watchmakers in the past, but the reason we’re focusing on the Classic Fusion Ferrari GT is because of how Hublot went about the watch’s creation process. The GT is designed purely at Centro Stile Ferrari—the brand’s in-house design centre in Maranello, Italy—with Hublot only creating the internal mechanism. The result is a case that’s quintessentially Italian and quintessentially Ferrari. Suspended within the bezel is the round case, and the void between the two gives this piece a sort of visual lightness. Up until now, the Hublot and Ferrari partnership has resulted in over 50 collaborative pieces. The Classic Fusion GT is the latest, but it certainly won’t be the last.

Roger Dubuis x Lamborghini

What happens when a loud, brash, edgy brand meets another? The Excalibur Huracán is the answer. Roger Dubuis isn’t really a brand that’s known for subtlety and understatement. They always go over-the-top with a majority of their creations, such as the Excalibur Quatuor—a watch with four balance wheels instead of the traditional one. Or take, for instance, the Excalibur Knights of the Round Table, which—as the name suggests—features a dial that represents 12 figures from the legend. In that sense, Lamborghini and Roger Dubuis are a match made in chaotic heaven. Lamborghini carries the same over-the-top principles that the watchmaker is well-known for. And the product of this collaboration, the Excalibur Huracán is a clear testament to that statement. A glimpse of this watch is enough to descry the thoroughbred DNA of the automaker. Within the 45mm titanium case, you’ll notice several features that present parallels with the Lamborghini Huracán. The movement bridge, for example, is modelled after the strut bar of the car’s V10 engine. There are speedometer-style numerals in the date window, a rotor similar to that of the Huracán’s rim, and a crown that looks like a wheel nut. Even if Lamborghini had chosen not to label this watch, the resemblance would have been as clear as day.

The German-Swiss Connection: Precision Meets Precision

Parmigiani x Bugatti

Now, Bugatti was founded by an Italian, Ettore Bugatti, in Molsheim, a place in Germany at the time. After World War 1, Germany handed over Molsheim to France and the name was changed to Alsace. At present, the company is owned by Volkswagen, a German company, who developed and designed the car, but was built in Frace. Real confusing stuff we have here. So we’ve just decided to stick with caliing it a German car. The Bugatti Veyron holds a very special place in the hearts of petrol-heads. Here was a car, launched back in 2005, that could crack the 400kmph mark right out of the box. Volkswagen’s smartest minds were put together for the creation of this mechanical masterpiece, and they essentially had to make a car around a very powerful engine. It was created to redefine what a car could be, and redefine it did. The Veyron can be compared to the Concorde, in the sense that it tried to rethink the way people saw transportation. Such a special carmaker deserves a special tribute timepiece. And who does ‘special’ better than Parmigiani? “The Bugatti collection dares to do it all, defies limits and explores the field of possibilities without fearing conventions, or the guillotine,” founder Michel Parmigiani once stated. The Parmigiani Bugatti Type 390 is a watch that draws its inspiration from the Bugatti Chiron, the Veyron’s successor. The PF390 movement is formed of seven layers featuring a total of 302 components and is probably the most complex watch movement manufactured by Parmigiani Fleurier to date. The timepiece has a mighty impressive 80-hour power reserve and the modular construction of this movement means that it can be removed from its housing, just as an engine would be removed from a supercar. The Parmigiani Bugatti Type 390 is the result of two very passionate companies, and features marvellous technological innovations, just like the car it draws its inspiration from.

IWC x Mercedes-Benz

In 2004, the watchmaker and Mercedes-Benz decided to join forces, with IWC becoming a partner of Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance brand of Mercedes-Benz. It was the start of a long and fruitful collaboration, which continues to this day. This collaboration has led to the carmaker using IWC clocks on its high-end cars, and the watchmaker releasing some exquisite timepieces to honour this partnership. The Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition ’50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG’ is one such example. As its name suggests, this special edition was released to mark the 50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG was launched last year at the Nürburgring. The watch is driven by the IWC 89361 manufacture calibre and housed in a robust titanium case. The dial is laid out in bicompax chronograph style with contrasting sub-counters and a date display at three o’clock.

These few examples here are just a sliver of how intertwined the two different worlds of automobiles and horology really are. In both cases, one can have an appreciation for the intricacy of mechanisation involved in the making of both, and the master craftsman who put their soul into their creations. Watches and cars may be mechanical objects, but they are in no way soulless. If you’re mesmerised by one, it’s not hard to imagine that you’d enamoured by the other soon enough. That’s the kind of unbreakable bond these machines share. Both embody principles of innovation, design and mechanical mastery—and wouldn’t it be amazing to have a piece of that on your wrist?