CAR (UK)

Watches: Porsche meets Heuer

Watches synced with Porsche cars.

- By Ben Oliver

Despite decades of flirtation, it’s only now that Porsche and Heuer have formally got into bed. You’d be forgiven for thinking they’d buddied-up years ago, so often have their histories collided. Their key models – the 911 and the Carrera chronograp­h – were both unveiled in 1963, and the name of the watch and the Carrera designatio­n for the 911 were both taken from the Carrera Panamerica­na road race.

The link between the Heuer Monaco and Steve McQueen’s Porsche 917-driving character in the movie Le Mans has been done to death, not least by me. But rather cooler is the fact that Jo Siffert – the Heuer-sponsored Swiss racer whom McQueen sought to ape – was a Porsche dealer, and not only struck a deal to pimp Heuer watches to fellow F1 drivers, but also flogged Jack Heuer a car at a meeting set up so Heuer could to sell Siffert some watches. Later, Heuer’s parent company TAG co-developed the TAG Turbo F1 engine with Porsche and, in 2019, Heuer became a partner in Porsche’s Formula E team.

Now the two brands plan a bunch more projects together, starting with a Porsche-branded version of Heuer’s Carrera watch. Nice details include a rough ‘asphalt’ dial with raised numerals, a Porsche logo on the bezel and visible steeringwh­eel shaped winding rotor on the automatic movement.

But for the most ardent Porsche/watch fan there’s Porsche Design, the firm founded by 911 designer Butzi Porsche, which has made watches since the ’70s and is based near the Porsche family homestead in Austria. Its latest watch is available only to owners of the new GT3. With prices starting at just over £8000 (it can be customised to match your car), it has a clever flyback-chronograp­h movement, titanium case, pushbutton strap-changing mechanism and considerab­le rarity.

Of course you also have to be able to afford the GT3 to go with it.

 ??  ?? Heuer-wearing Jo Siffert, victorious at Spa in 1970
Heuer-wearing Jo Siffert, victorious at Spa in 1970
 ?? tagheuer.com ?? TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograp­h £4850
tagheuer.com TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograp­h £4850
 ?? porsche-design.com ?? Porsche Design Chronograp­h 911 GT3 £8040
porsche-design.com Porsche Design Chronograp­h 911 GT3 £8040

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