At the International Geneva Motor Show, the British luxury car brand Aston Martin announced that they would be partnering with the Swiss luxury watch brand TAG Heuer. Jean-Claude Biver, the CEO of TAG Heuer, and Andy Palmer, the President and CEO of Aston Martin, announced that TAG Heuer would partner with Aston Martin in three capacities: as their Official Partner, their Official Watch Partner, and their Official Connected Watch Partner for Aston Martin and Aston Martin Racing.
This new partnership seems like a natural fit, as TAG Heuer and Aston Martin are both prestigious brands that are closely associated with racing. Aston Martin produces many of the world’s most powerful sports cars and racing vehicles, including their famous Valkyrie hypercar. And while TAG Heuer is best known for their high quality watches, they, like many other luxury watch brands, have partnered with racing events and companies in the past. TAG Heuer has been the official timekeeper of Gran Turismo Sport, the Indycar Series, the FIM World Endurance Championship, and the Red Bull Racing Team. The Swiss watchmaker also previously partnered with other racing vehicle companies, including a partnership with Team Nissan Nismo at 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the official press release announcing Tag Heuer as Aston Martin’s new Official Partner, the CEOs of the two luxury brands commented on the synergy of their collaboration. Dr. Andy Palmer of Aston Martin was quoted as saying, “Both of us understand the importance of beautiful bespoke craftsmanship and the importance of peak performance so we already have many common values.” Jean-Claude Biver of TAG Heuer, who is also the President of LVMH Group Watches Division, stated, “Aston Martin has the same genetic make-up as TAG Heuer: luxury, quality, beautiful products, innovation, history, emotion and performance. We are therefore delighted to be able to work with such a prestigious brand that shares our passion for cars. This collaboration will bring forth a wealth of amazing synergies that will strengthen TAG Heuer’s position as an avant-garde luxury watch brand with a leading position in the automotive sector.”
Now that TAG Heuer is an official partner of Aston Martin, we’re sure to see numerous collaborations over the coming years. But, first up, the two companies have revealed a special-edition timepiece collection inspired by Aston Martin’s iconic cars. Let’s take a closer look at the two limited edition watches released as a part of the TAG Heuer and Aston Martin collaboration: the TAG Heuer Carrera 01 Aston Martin Special Edition and the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Aston Martin Racing Special Edition.
The TAG Heuer Carrera 01 Aston Martin Special Edition
The TAG Heuer Carrera 01 Aston Martin Special Edition is, as you may gather from its name, a variation on TAG Heuer’s Carrera 01 model. However, the Aston Martin version of this timepiece is quite different; it’s not simply the same model with the Aston Martin logo attached. (Though, their winged logo can be found on the watch’s dial and its bezel.)
One of the most notable differences between the Carrera 01 and the Carrera 01 Aston Martin Special Edition is the watch’s dial, which features a hexagonal pattern that is inspired by the grille detailing on an Aston Martin Vantage, one of the Gaydon-based company’s most prestigious cars. Other notable design elements that are inspired by Aston Martin include parallel lines along the sides of the case, which are designed to evoke a racetrack, and the watch’s chronograph pushers, which are designed to look like pistons.
While the Carrera 01 Aston Martin Special Edition’s Caliber Heuer 01 is mostly obstructed from view on the watch’s dial by its hexagonal dial pattern, you can view it through a sapphire window that rests along this watch’s caseback.
The TAG Heuer Carrera 01 Aston Martin Special Edition is, as you may gather from its name, a variation on TAG Heuer’s Carrera 01 model. However, the Aston Martin version of this timepiece is quite different; it’s not simply the same model with the Aston Martin logo attached. (Though, the Aston Martin logo can be found on the watch’s dial and its bezel.)
The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Aston Martin Racing Special Edition
You can see the Aston Martin Motor Racing influence on the Formula 1 Aston Martin Racing Special Edition immediately. One of the most striking elements of the design of this watch is the use of Aston Martin Racing’s signature colors: Dark Grey and Lime Essence. The watch’s dial has numerous lime essence accents (including the Aston Martin logo in lime) and the watch’s matte black leather strap features lime essence contrast stitching. Notably, the strap used here is a leather strap, which makes this the first time TAG Heuer has ever used a leather strap in their Formula 1 collection.
TAG Heuer has stated that the Formula 1 Aston Martin Racing Special Edition was inspired by Aston Martin’s new Vantage GTE. This watch is striking on its exterior and performs well mechanically, rather like Aston Martin’s Vantage GTE. The Formula 1 Aston Martin Racing Special Edition features a three subdials, a quartz movement that enables its chronograph to be accurate to 1/10 of a second, a screw-down solid steel caseback, a date window, an aluminum and black tachymeter bezel, 200m water resistance, and a stainless steel tang buckle
You can see the Aston Martin Racing influence on the Formula 1 Aston Martin Racing Special Edition immediately. One of the most striking elements of the design of this watch is the use of Aston Martin Racing’s signature colors: Dark Grey and Lime Essence. The watch’s dial has numerous lime essence accents (including the Aston Martin logo in lime) and the watch’s matte black leather strap features lime essence contrast stitching. Notably, the strap used here is a leather strap, which makes this the first time TAG Heuer has ever used a leather strap in their Formula 1 collection.