Hyper ostentatious, high-performance motoring-inspired watches that deserve their own supercars
If the tao of Instagram has taught us anything, it is there is no better backdrop to flaunt your watch than against the wheel of a souped-up sports car. And we get it. Watches and cars are cut from the same cloth: the precision, the engineering, and the sexy athleticism when both combine. It is no secret, too, for the world’s most desired watch brands and their motoring counterparts. This is why, when both horological and motoring worlds decide to get in sync, the results can really set our hearts racing.
Roger Dubuis: Excalibur Spider Hurácan Sterrato Monobalancier
Some marriages just make sense. Roger Dubuis is a watch brand that thrives on technical and design ostentation. Meanwhile, Lamborghini is known for pushing the limits with over-the-top styling and road performance. Like a couple destined for union, both brands have partnered since 2017 like a dream. Case in point: the new Excalibur Spider Huracán Sterrato Monobalancier. Introduced last December together with the unveiling of Lamborghini’s Huracán Sterratoin, it is the latest in a long line of co-launches that exemplify the synergy between the two companies.
Like the car, the Excalibur Spider Huracán Sterrato Monobalancier exudes an extroverted spirit. A hulking timepiece is dressed in black, bright orange and yellow, and features a 45mm case made of SMC Carbon, a light but hardy composite material also used in the Lamborghini Huracán’s chassis. While the watch references several of the car’s components through its design, it is a mechanical beast in its own right. At its heart is a state-of-the-art automatic tourbillon movement, armed with an inclined balance wheel to enhance precision, and twin-barrels that store up to 60 hours of power reserve.
Tag Heuer: Monza Flyback
Fancy a winner? The Monza takes top spot, both figuratively and literally. The bestselling Tag Heuer watch is also a timepiece inspired by one of the most memorable wins in the F1 World Championship. In 1975, motor racing legend Niki Lauda won his first F1 title, and Tag Heuer swiftly commemorated the victory by releasing the Monza a year later.
Named after the famed Italian racing circuit, reputedly the world’s fastest F1 track, the Monza takes cues from its namesake’s heart-stopping proposition. This year’s model, issued in partnership with the Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 team that Tag Heuer sponsors, is appropriately showy. Encased in a textured carbon case and spiked with the team’s blue and red colours, the watch is driven by the brand’s proprietary automatic chronograph movement. A powerful engine that helps measure elapsed timings, it allows the user to instantly reset and restart the chronograph function at the push of a button.
Omega: Speedmaster SuperRacing
Though synonymous with the Apollo mission’s historic moon landing in 1969, the Omega Speedmaster has its origins in earthly pursuits. Introduced in 1957, the chronograph’s sporty disposition was, in fact, meant to appeal to race car drivers. Recognised by brightly coloured hands and chequered flag-style markers, the ‘Racing’ editions of the Speedmaster first surfaced in the 1960s. While there are several modern-day iterations since, the new Speedmaster Super Racing is the most technically advanced model yet.
A certified Master Chronometer, the watch guarantees top-notch precision and extreme magnetic resistance of up to 15,000 gauss. Most impressively, the Speedmaster Super Racing features an innovative engine. The automatic movement is equipped with a proprietary new feature called the Spirate System, which upgrades a key component known as the balance wheel (a tiny wheel that oscillates to regulate precision). Billed by Omega as one of its “biggest achievements” of the year, the Spirate System features a newly shaped silicon balance spring, which improves the watch’s precision to an unprecedented 0/+2 seconds a day.
Zenith: Defy Extreme E ‘Desert X Prix’ Edition
Petrolheads may not fancy it, but electric off-road racing is here to stay. The Extreme E Championship, which started in 2021, just commenced its third season in Neom, Saudi Arabia. To flag off the competition, official timepiece sponsor Zenith has unveiled a one-of-a-kind box set comprising four commemorative watches from the race’s second season.
Sporting the championship’s official colours in yellow, orange, purple, and coppery-brown—the vibrant quartet is loaded with horological panache and environmental symbolism. The watches are numbered 0/20, and are driven by Zenith’s famous high-frequency chronograph movement. Bearing the message of sustainability, the watches feature rubber straps are made with upcycled tyres, and are delivered in hardy cases that incorporate upcycled elements from the side-lines of the first season’s races. As a bonus, the boxset’s owner will be presented with rare collectibles, and an invitation to a season three race with VIP pass and accommodation.
