“Dr. Shepherd” couldn’t hold his excitement if he tried – and with good reason. Hollywood actor and racer Patrick Dempsey (aka Derek Shepherd on Gray’s Anatomy) has been a longtime brand ambassador and fan of TAG Heuer and Porsche separately. “It’s amazing. It means so much to me personally… and I’ve been waiting for this to happen for a really long time.”
Now, it finally has. The two iconic brands both associated with speed, accuracy – and the word “Carrera” — have come together for a partnership that, according to TAG Heuer CEO Frederic Arnault, “is only the beginning.”
During an online launch, the executive said, “We are entering this partnership with a longtime view on both sides. We are talking about decades… so we have a lot to accomplish, a lot to look forward to.”
TAG Heuer had earlier passed on the recent LVMH Watch Week 2021, leaving its sister horological brands Bulgari, Hublot, and Zenith to their own presentations. In a recorded message, Arnault had then promised to host “a digital event on the biggest-ever partnership for the brand.”
The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition heralds and forges the bond of the two brands, which Porsche Executive Board Member for Sales and Marketing Detlev Von Platen described as “so natural, authentic, and credible.”
He averred that the two marques have shared so many milestones in their history – from Le Mans to Steve McQueen, to Formula E today. “We combine tradition and future in motorsports in a very authentic way. Both brands owe their roots to visionary entrepreneurs, and love competition and sportiness… (and) both have been using ‘Carrera’ for decades,” he shared.
The special-edition chronograph comes in a 44mm case, coming with either a soft calf leather strap with Porsche-inspired stitching, or an interlocking bracelet.
“What I really love about this watch is that it’s a Carrera sport chronograph Infused with subtle and elegant design codes of Porsche,” said Arnault.
A red “Porsche” inscription is engraved on the ceramic bezel just past the 12 o’clock position – taking its place with a tachymeter scale. The textured dial calls to mind the asphalt, which Tag says “perfectly expresses a passion for the road,” while the Arabic numbers reflect the same style as that on the instrumentation of a Porsche vehicle.
Equipped with a Heuer 02 movement boasting 80 hours of power reserve, even the oscillating mass of the automatic chronograph is redesigned with inspiration from Porsche’s iconic steering wheel. This was done, insisted Arnault, “without compromising on the quality of the movement.”
The case is of finely brushed and polished steel and ceramic, and the watch gets 100m of water resistance.
So, McDreamy finally gets his watch.