A few years back, Porsche announced that it had entered a strategic partnership with luxury watch brand TAG Heuer. And while this multi-brand endeavor has thus far produced a myriad of different models and references, the pair’s latest horological collab almost certainly marks their most interesting to date with a retro-inspired Carrera chronograph watch that pays homage to the original Porsche 911 in a very interesting manner. 

Constructed around a 42mm x 14.9mm case with a combination of fine-brushed and polished finishes, this new timepiece is known as the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche Watch. Water-resistant down to 100 meters, the Carrera Chronosprint is offered in either stainless steel or solid 18K rose gold constructions and is based on TAG’s “Glassbox” design. Sitting beneath a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatments on both sides, the watch’s dial — a silver face on the stainless steel version and a beige item on the rose gold model — sports rhodium-plated hour and minute hands, silver sub-dial accents, and hour markers that match either watch’s rose gold or stainless steel case construction. Lume on the dial has also been limited to only on the hour and minute hands. 

What really makes the Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche watch so special — and what gives it its name — is its movement. A brand-new item developed in-house by TAG Heuer, the Calibre TH20-08 is an automatic movement that honors the original 911, the car’s engine, and the time it took to reach 100km/h (approximately 60mph), which was 9.1 seconds. As a result, the markers on the watch’s flange sport a series of red stripes for the first 9.1 seconds. When the chronograph is started, it sweeps across the first third of the dial in 9.1 seconds (instead of the 20 seconds it normally takes to circle the first third of the dial) at which point it begins to slow as it moves across the remainder of the dial — emulating the appearance of a speedometer’s needle as a car rockets for 0-60mph, covering the first portion of the instrumentation quickly before slowing as it climbs in speed. Once reaching 12 o’clock, the hand begins the sweep again at full speed, covering the first third of the dial in 9.1 seconds and repeating the process all over again. The TH20-08 also features a generous 80-hour power reserve. Like the jumping hour movements found in RESERVOIR watches, the TH20-08 manages to deliver a unique automotive-themed horological experience that genuinely ties the timepiece to motorsport in a markedly more tangible manner. 

The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche Watches are available now, with pricing set at $9,200 for the stainless steel reference and $23,550 for the rose gold variant.