Need for Speed
Watch brands adding oomph with the fastest names in engineering
In music, fashion and art, collaborations are all the rage at the moment, so it’s not surprising that heritage Swiss watch companies are jumping on the bandwagon and injecting a bit of life into their offerings by associating themselves with younger, and often cooler, brands. Motorsport and aviation, fields that share a reverence for engineering and performance, have proved the most natural partnerships and sources of inspiration, and here are nine watches that proudly showed off their influences.
Baume & Mercier and Shelby Cobra
Baume & Mercier pulled off something of a coup when it revealed its collaboration with sports car manufacturer Shelby Cobra ( or AC Cobra as it was known in the UK), one of those names that engenders near- universal acclaim among auto enthusiasts. The offspring of this marriage is the Clifton Club Shelby Cobra, a 196- piece limited edition watch that’s sure to be a hit with Cobra fans and more besides. The watch is distinctive for its blue and white halved dial, which is a tribute to the 1964 Le Mans Shelby Cobra that set all sets of speed and endurance records. Another unusual touch is the Cobra head logo at the opposite end of the red seconds hand.
Roger Dubuis and Pirelli
Roger Dubuis linked up with Italian F1 tyre manufacturer Pirelli for two raceinspired creations in 2017. The Excalibur Spider Pirelli with Double Flying Tourbillon ( limited run of eight pieces) and the Excalibur Spider Pirelli Automatic Skeleton ( limited to 88 pieces) are the usual riot of precision mechanical engineering one has come to expect from Roger Dubuis. The watches both feature even more colour, with blue, yellow and red making the already bold Excalibur range even bolder. Both watches also feature beautifully rendered straps made of rubber, which mimic perfectly the grain of the tires Pirelli manufactures for F1 race cars.
IWC
IWC has very few rivals when it comes to its association with aviation; the brand has long been a favourite of pilots and has links to the real- life Top Gun academy. The Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition “Tribute to Mark XI” is both a tribute to its heritage in aviation and also a celebration of one of the greatest pilot’s watches ever made – the Mark XI. Simple but effective in design, the Mark XVIII Edition “Tribute to Mark XI” is limited to 1,948 pieces in a further tip of the hat to the original Mark XI, which came out in 1948.
Chopard and Porsche
The union of Chopard and Porsche marries a stellar luxury name in watchmaking with a stellar luxury name in cars, so the collaboration was a no- brainer for both. The result is the Superfast Power Control Porsche 919 HF Edition, which was launched to coincide with this year’s Le Mans 24 hours endurance race. The watch’s design has plenty of sporty touches including the go- faster numerals and the fuel gauge aping power indicator, but the significant technical achievement of this watch is the calibre 01.11- M high- frequency movement, which beats at 8Hz, making it incredibly accurate.
Franck Muller
Franck Muller’s Vanguard Icon I Fullback isn’t a collaboration, but it is a watch that’s fully informed by aviation and is the brand’s first foray into this area. A powerful and masculine watch, the
dial is reminiscent of plane instruments, and the crown even features a red guard that’s a reference to the trigger guards in fighter jets.
Richard Mille and Mclaren
Richard Mille is famed for his collection of race cars, so its little surprise that the legendary watchmaker has engaged British F1 team and supercar maker Mclaren for a nifty collaboration that will set you back a cool US$ 1 million. The RM 50- 03, limited to 75 pieces, is as technologically advanced as a Mclaren F1 car, and at 40g is the lightest split- second chronograph tourbillon watch in the world.
Hublot and Ferrari
Ferrari’s history with watchmaking has included links with Heuer and Longines, as well as cheap licensed pieces in the 1980s and ’ 90s. In recent years, Ferrari has been working with Hublot, and the results have been infinitely better – reaching a critical peak with the MP- 05 Laferrari. This year, Hublot and Ferrari should get plenty more love from the critics and consumers for the Techframe Ferrari 70 years Tourbillon Chronograph. The watch is notable for its case construction that’s inspired by a Ferrari chassis and also features a red lever that evokes a gear paddle instead of a tradition push button for the chronograph. As the name suggests, the watch celebrates 70 years of the company, and as such Hublot has made 70 pieces each in carbon, titanium and gold.
Bell & Ross and Renault
The union of French brands Bell & Ross and Renault is more than just mere Tricolour waving, with the BR126 Renault Sport 40th Anniversary, the watchmaker has created a very desirable and practical watch. Sporting a very un- Bell & Ross- like round case, the BR126 celebrates 40 years of Renault’s F1 team with its distinctive yellow featuring on the dial. This is a beautifully clean race watch, of which only 170 pieces will be made.