There’s nothing new about the relationship between car and watch brands. One of the first collaborations was 100 years ago when French watchmaker Jaeger and Swiss company LeCoultre started a company in the UK making car clocks.
In 1927 they sold 75% of the company to Smiths, a British competitor forever linked to the Smiths/Rolex watch Sir Edmund Hillary wore on the ascent of Mt Everest. It later became known as the original Rolex Explorer.
Jaeger gauges and a Smiths clock featured in the 1930 Bentley Speed Six. Another early association was in 1929-30 when Swiss watchmaker Breguet created a clock for the Bugatti Royale (main picture).
The clock (above) was designed to fit into the centre of the car’s steering wheel, rather than the dashboard. It was the ultimate refinement in a car that was 6.4m long, weighed over 3 tonnes, and aimed at European royalty.
The clock had an eight-day power reserve and a chronograph with a digital minute counter. Surrounding the dial was a tachometer scale that measured up to 250km/h, a necessity as the 12.7-litre eight-cylinder behemoth was good for around 200km/h.
The story goes that Bugatti set out to build 25 examples of the Royale but the Great Depression bit deep and only seven were completed and a mere three actually sold. They each cost around US$30,000, or around US$500,000 today.
These days car and watch companies are finding new ways to explore brand associations. The relationship between the two industries is big business, allowing companies to reach more buyers.
The following list reveals just some of the alliances …
Bremont and Jaguar
British watchmaker Bremont celebrated the 60th birthday of the Jaguar E-Type (the car Enzo Ferrari famously declared the most beautiful ever made) with a special edition chronograph (above). It comes with a bezel and gray or green leather strap; the black dials on its face mimic the gauges set in the car’s dashboard; the winding crown has a tyre tread that matches the Dunlop tyres the racing E-Types of the 1960s used. Price: NZ$22,000.
Rolex Explorer II and Ford GT40
The Explorer II 1655 (above) was nicknamed the “Steve McQueen” Rolex, although the Hollywood star regularly wore another Rolex. The watch became linked to McQueen when it was launched in 1971, the same year he used a Gulf-liveried Ford GT40 as a camera car for his movie Le Mans, in which he wore the square Tag-Heuer. Rolex produced the Explorer II ref. 1655 until 1985. It is one of the most collectable of Rolex watches and is often referred to by the nickname “Freccione” (Italian for “arrow”) thanks to the shape of its orange 24-hour hand.
G-Shock and Toyota LandCruiser
The Toyota LandCruiser and Casio’s G-Shock line of watches (above) got together early in 2022 for a special G-Shock, a watch based on the Mudmaster, which, like the LandCruiser, can handle all sorts of gruelling conditions. Team LandCruiser is a factory-backed Dakar Rally team which has run a LandCruiser 200 Series in the event for some years. The Team LandCruiser G-Shock, reference GWG-2000TLC-1AJR, is available through G-Shock in New Zealand for around $1200.
Chopard and Mille Miglia
The Swiss company collaborated with English watchmaker Bamford to commemorate the famous Italian race. The Mille Miglia Bamford Edition (above) has a stainless steel case and diamond-carbon finish. The dial is dark gray with vibrant orange accents, and the strap is rubber with orange stitching and an orange calfskin lining. Just 33 are to be made. Price: around NZ$12,000. The Mille Miglia has been run since 1927. It runs through the open streets of Italy, traveling from Brescia to Rome and back.
Richard Mille and McLaren
Former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo wore one of the 500 Richard Mille 11-03 watches made in 2018. The see-through watch (above) sold new for around NZ$400,000 but is changing hands these days for upwards of $1m. McLaren design director Rob Melville had a hand in designing the RM 11-03. The body is made from a carbon material interlaced with layers of McLaren’s signature orange and houses an automatic movement and titanium pushers. An RM automatic tourbillion honors McLaren’s fastest hypercar, the Speedtail. It is made from titanium, platinum, red gold, and carbon, with a contoured case and bezel. Just 106 will be made. Price: NZ$1.5m
Panerai and Ferrari
Ferrari has partnered with Swiss watchmakers Hublot and Panerai, both of whom blend Italian design with Swiss precision. These days it’s Hublot, but for five years or so Ferrari identified with dive watch specialist Panerai (above) as all-adventure brands. Those who wear the large ‘rounded-square’ Panerais are often the same who have a Ferrari in the garage. Prices have remained relatively flat for the Ferrari-stamped Panerais, with plenty available on the used market for between NZ$5000 and NZ$30,000.
Grand Seiko and Nissan GT-R
In 2019, two Japanese companies each wanted to honour significant anniversaries: Seiko for the 20th birthday of its spring drive technology, and Nissan for the 50th birthday of its high-performance GT-R. They joined forces to develop an anniversary edition watch (above) under the Grand Seiko banner. It was housed in a ceramic and titanium case, with a silver-white dial and Bayside Blue highlights, an iconic colour from the Nissan R34 Skyline GT-R of the 1990s. Only 200 were made, each costing upwards of NZ$30,000.
Rolex and Ferrari
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was unveiled at the 1968 Paris motor show. It quickly gained the nickname “Daytona” thanks to Ferrari’s 1-2-3 sweep of the 24-hour race in Florida in 1967. Rolex launched its new chronograph model (above) in 1963, calling it the “Cosmograph.” However, it soon added the name “Daytona” to the watch to emphasise the company’s sponsorship ties to the racetrack and the Cosmograph Daytona’s motorsport-inspired spirit. Actor Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold for NZ$27m in 2017.
Bovet Fleurier and Rolls-Royce
The 200-year-old Swiss watchmaker partnered with Rolls-Royce to make two timepieces for the NZ$39 million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail. The his-and-hers watches (above) come in white gold cases with matching dials and a wood veneer that looks like the top of a vintage wooden boat. Each comes engraved with the name of the owner; some have an image of the car or the image of the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament in the dial. The timepiece can be set into the dashboard or used as a wristwatch, desk clock, or pocket watch. Price is included with the car.
IWC and Mercedes-AMG
The relationship between Mercedes-AMG and Swiss brand International Watch Company (above) dates back to 2004, making it one of the longest collaborations between an automotive company and a watchmaker. The two share a dedication to engineering and performance with typically understated designs. IWC have produced many models in partnership with AMG, with prices typically between NZ$5000 and NZ$20,000 – though a limited-edition model from F1 team boss Toto Wolff can run into six figures.
Breitling and Bentley
Breitling had been making watches for use in the automotive and aviation industries since the 1930s. The series of Bentley for Breitling watches launched in 2002, four years after Volkswagen Group acquired the luxury British carmaker and shortly before the launch of the Continental GT. The Swiss watch company designed the dashboard clock for the Continental GT and soon after began offering special Bentley watches. Pictured above is the Breitling B01 chronograph 42 Bentley British Racing Green with a British racing green leather strap
Tag Heuer and Porsche
Both the Porsche 911 Carrera and Tag Heuer Carrera (above) were named after the same event, the Carrera Panamericana, a race through Mexico in the early 1950s. The two companies most recently launched the Tag Heuer Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 in celebration of the iconic German sports car, using the famous Porsche Carrera badge on the dial and strap. Given the original Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is now worth more than NZ$2 million, the watch’s price tag of around NZ$12,000 seems almost reasonable.
Aston Martin and Girard-Perregaux
The prestigious British brand has had associations with different watchmakers over the years, including Tag-Heuer. Since 2021 it has collaborated with Girard-Perregaux, one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers. One example of their alliance is (above) the Laureato Absolute Chronograph AMF1 Edition. It features a 44mm case made of titanium powder and carbon elements taken from two F1 race cars used during the 2021 season. The watch is priced at around NZ$33,000.
Citizen and Toyota Crown
In the early 2000s, Toyota got together with Japanese watchmaker Citizen to create a timepiece that allowed the owner of a Crown sedan to remotely lock and unlock the car and start its engine. It was known as the Toyota Crown Smart Key watch (above) and was available only in the Japanese market and only for the 12th-generation Crown. The watches have become collectors’ items. They are difficult to track down and are not well known outside the domestic Toyota Crown community.
Tag Heuer and Monza collection
Niki Lauda won the Formula One drivers’ and constructors’ championships for Ferrari in 1975, the brand’s first win in 11 years. To celebrate, Ferrari’s watchmaking sponsor Tag Heuer debuted its Monza collection, named after the circuit in Italy. Now Tag Heuer has unveiled a new Monza (above). This version features a skeletonized dial and carbon material on its 42mm case and distances itself from the more vintage-inspired offerings of recent Tag Heuer chronographs. It’s called the Tag Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer and sells for around NZ$22,000.
Tag Heuer and Carrera
An example of the vintage-inspired Tag Heuer chronographs previously mentioned is the 60th anniversary Carrera (above). The original was unveiled in 1963 and quickly became one of the most recognisable chronographs in the world. Tag Heuer borrowed from a late ‘60s – reference 2447 SN – model for its celebratory Carrera, limited to 600 examples. Its silver and black panda dial has been lifted directly from the original, along with the black stripes of the central hands and hour markers. It has a 39mm polished steel case with sapphire crystal and is finished with a vintage Heuer logo and perforated black leather band. Price is around $NZ11,500.
Porsche Design and GP Ice Race
The GP Ice Race is run early in the new year near the Porsche design centre in Zell am See, Austria. Porsche Design created a watch to commemorate the 2022 running of the event. Now it’s back with another limited edition model (above) to commemorate this year’s event, from January 27 to 29. The new Ice Race model is called the GP 2023 Edition, but is based on Porsche Design’s Chronograph 1 from the early ‘70s. The GP 2023 Edition has a 40.8mm-wide titanium case with a black dial and bright neon orange chronograph accents. Limited to just 250 examples, it is priced at around NZ$15,000.
Zenith and Land Rover
Watchmaker Zenith performed a modern take on its cherished El Primero movement when it designed the Land Rover Defy 21 edition (above) to celebrate the new Defender. In standard production form, the Defy 21 features pretty much an open worked dial. But Zenith took a more conservative route with the Defender watch to honour the vehicle’s functional design. It worked with Land Rover design chief Jerry McGovern to create a 44mm-diameter timepiece in a matte-finished titanium case with a matching matte grey dial and strap. Limited to 250 examples, the Defender Defy 21 Zenith was priced at around $NZ23,000.
Aston Martin limited edition
Aston Martin and Girard-Perregaux have unveiled their latest collaboration, the Laureato green ceramic Aston Martin edition. The watch nods to the British racing marque with a ceramic case in the team’s signature hue. Its matching dial features a diamond-like pattern referencing the vintage AM logo and the quilted seats inside the brand’s vehicles. The skeletonised baton-style hour and minute hands and an inner bezel in black offer a subtle contrast. Available in two versions, the 38mm option is limited to 188 units and the 42mm to 388.
Swatch and Smart Car
The Smart car of the late 1990s was a development between Swiss watch brand Swatch and Germany’s Mercedes-Benz. It wasn’t exactly a success, reportedly costing both companies many billions of dollars before the joint project ended. Mercedes-Benz has kick-started it, this time as an electric car developed with Chinese carmaker Geely. The Swatch Smart Car watch, reference GZ154 pictured above, was launched in 1997 to commemorate the opening of the Smart assembly plant.
Ice Watch and BMW
BMW has partnered with a number of watch companies over the years, but its deal with sponsor Ice Watches highlighted a colourful livery in the DTM racing series in Germany. The Belgian watchmaker was producing trendy, go-to styles when it lured BMW a few years ago. The Ice chronograph – it’s large at 53mm – features a canvas strap, stainless steel body, BMW roundel in the dial, and ‘BMW Motorsport’ text in the bezel. New, it could be bought for around NZ$350. Now the watch is trading online from around NZ$100.