Watches TAG Heuer x Porsche: Carrera united

Endurance racing represents the most grueling test of both man and machine in motorsport, where teams battle not just their competitors, but also the unforgiving elements. In the mid-twentieth century, the infamous Carrera Panamericana rally that once charged through Central America from the Texas border all the way to Guatemala, was an endurance race without equal. It was the lore of this race that inspired both Porsche and TAG Heuer.

Porsche chose the name “Carrera” for it’s most powerful engine versions in honor of the successes in this race – carrera meaning race in Spanish. At the same time, Jack Heuer was inspired to design a legendary chronograph in 1963, giving it a name that would reflect it`s racing roots – the Carrera chronograph.

With this name deeply anchored in both brands’ history, the next arena where Porsche and TAG Heuer have been pushing the limits side-by-side is on the asphalt of the most famous endurance track of them all. As a manufacturer Porsche reigns supreme, with more overall victories -19 in total – than any other car company. While TAG Heuer, from its earliest days in motorsport, has been as crucial for the time keeping on track, as it was essential as a tool for racers and race engineers trackside. When winning comes down to the second, TAG Heuer would be the choice of those looking to find the last 1/1000th.

In 2021, the two brands finally launched an official collaboration, and a watch that connects this decades-long legacy more closely than ever, has now taken shape in the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963. Without a doubt, true racing fans will see, this timepiece and its purposeful design is born of this deep-rooted shared passion.

It begins with the streamlined integration of the rubber strap shaped like the NACA-style air ducts, as seen on many of Porsche’s racing cars. Engraved between the lugs you will find the Porsche model designation 963. Along the side of this bold case, the pushers and crown stand out in black, and the name Porsche appears in a dedicated indentation, embossed on a sandblasted PVD backdrop.

The skeleton dial is carried by tubular elements in reference to roll cages and structural struts found in cars built for one purpose: motoracing. They support the three black-lacquered, dashboard-inspired gauges in a tricompax arrangement, with the small seconds at 6 o’clock, and the hour and minute totalizers at 9 and 3 o’clock respectively.

But to see all the iconic elements on the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963, you have to dim the lights. The name Porsche will then appear in SuperLumiNova on the tachymeter scale of the forged carbon bezel, as will the date revealer at 6 o’clock. As for the eight larger indexes on the hour and minute subdials (at 2, 4, 8, and 10), they immediately hint at another Porsche icon: the modern-day 911 and its headlights. Turn over the watch for a look at the automatic caliber TH20-00 offering a power reserve of 80 hours. The black steering-wheel rotor announces the collaboration between the two brands in red. Two other elements stand out here: the red column wheel at the top, and the number of this dashing TAG Heuer product, which comes in a limited edition of 963 pieces.