TAG Heuer and Porsche have top-of-mind recall when it comes to automaker and watchmaker partnerships, so these limited edition Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 chronographs will be very well received. Both Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 chronographs are tributes to the first car to bear the Carrera name, the Porsche RS 2.7. The original Ducktail celebrates 50 years of greatness this year, and the Carrera Porsche Special Editions are fitting anniversary gifts. Before we get into the watches, we do need to back up a bit because this is a story about Carreras, and a narrative that unfolded quite naturally.
TAG Heuer and Porsche formally inked their partnership in 2021, and this is actually the first time the brands have come together. Jack Heuer launched the Carrera watch for Heuer (no TAG yet) in 1963, a full nine years before Porsche debuted its Carrera model. While the origins for both the automaker and the watchmaker are independent, the name Carrera began to take shape in the minds of enthusiasts. Thus the connections between TAG Heuer and Porsche developed organically, putting a degree of pressure-to-deliver on special editions. This brings us back to the two RS 2.7 chronographs, which as you can see are quite fetching.
Notably, both Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 chronographs are powered by the Heuer 02 automatic calibre, which means they are tri-compax chronographs with dates. The design team has turned the RS 2.7 into a pseudo bi-compax offering, with the date and the running seconds indication at 6 o’clock being camouflaged. This will be divisive, but it is clear that the form factor here favours the dual-registers design, and the alternative would have been to avoid having the running seconds show at all. That would probably have been the more controversial decision. Also intriguing, but not at all controversially, here is the decision to include text within the splash of colour that intersects with the hour markers. This is also camouflaged, and reflects a bit of history with the prototype Carrera vehicles.
“The name and spirit of the Carrera are incredibly meaningful and emblematic for both TAG Heuer and Porsche,” said TAG Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault. “So, for the 50th anniversary of the very first Porsche 911 Carrera, the iconic RS 2.7, we wanted to create a tribute watch that would express the character and power of this ground-breaking sports car within our own signature TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph. The two timepieces we imagined together are sleek, assertive, memorable; they reflect their illustrious past while also projecting something even more exciting — what Porsche and TAG Heuer can now achieve together.”
“The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was the first 911 to be christened ‘Carrera’ and was the crowning glory of the Porsche range at this time,” said Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “The anniversary of this sports car icon is the perfect occasion for us to launch a joint watch with our close partner TAG Heuer, with whom we share the same philosophy and love for exclusive products that combine innovation and heritage.”
The Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 chronographs come in two flavours: one in stainless steel, the other 18k rose gold. The steel version comes with two strap options: fabric and bracelet, while the rose gold version comes with a red alligator strap. The steel chronograph is limited to 500 pieces while the rose gold chronograph is limited to 250 pieces. Both are boutique exclusives and are available now. For our money, the blue detailing on the fabric strap is wonderful, but the rose gold version might be just right for those looking to celebrate with the right watch while driving the Porsche Carrera.
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