We've seen TAG Heuer and Porsche collaborate before on mechanical watches, but now the two legendary brands have teamed up for a special edition of the Connected Calibre E4 smartwatch.
What's interesting about the latest collab is that rather than just featuring a design inspired by Porsche, the smartwatch also includes exclusive Wear OS features for Porsche owners.
At the crux of it, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Porsche Edition offers the same experience as the standard TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4, which I've reviewed before and rate very highly and consider one of the best smartwatches you can buy.
It differs from with standard edition with 'frozen blue' design features used on the physical watch and the software. This shade has been taken from the electric Taycan.
Owners of the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Porsche Edition will have access to an exclusive watch face inspired by printed circuit boards and racing circuits. This animated dial aims to evoke a feeling of technology and speed.
Now, here's where things get really interesting – the smartwatch also offers complications which display information from compatible Porsche models directly on the watch face.
There are four complications available at launch, the first shows how much is left in the car’s battery; the second shows off ‘car autonomy’ information, displaying how many kilometres remain before the car’s battery or gas runs out; the third is a shortcut to the Wear OS My Porsche app which enables users to quickly control their vehicle heating and air conditioning; the final complication shows the total mileage driven in the car.
I'm really excited by these features, as they go beyond the traditional brand collaboration and provide actually useful benefits to the owner.
To activate these features, you'll need to have Porsche ID, Porsche Connect subscription and the My Porsche app on the watch and phone. Compatible cars include the Panamera (G2), 911 (992 models from 2022 onwards), 911, Cayenne (E3 models from 2022 onwards), Cayenne (E2 II), 718, Macan II/III, Macan, and Taycan.
In terms of physical design, the smartwatch is filled with numerous nods to Porsche’s Taycan. The 45mm case is crafted from black titanium and has been sandblasted to give it a light, sporty feel.
The black ceramic polished bezel has a dedicated scale going from zero to 400, referencing the Porsche car’s speed, which can be used to read functions relating to the car or to display metrics like heart rate.
The black steel crown surrounded by black rubber is highlighted with the TAG Heuer shield in frozen blue lacquer, and the pushers also carry the same iconic blue shade.
At the bottom of the bezel, the word Porsche is highlighted in frozen blue, as is the ‘100’ at the top.
On the reverse, the titanium case back is engraved with ‘TAG Heuer x Porsche’ around the LED heart rate sensor.
The watch’s strap is designed to feel like the interior of a Porsche, with carbon-like black calfskin and blue stitching, it echoes the leather finishing found inside the cars.
The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Porsche Edition is available now priced at £2,300 / US$2,750.
You can purchase the smartwatch from TAG Heuer's website and from Goldsmiths in the UK. If you do shop at Goldsmiths, make sure you use T3's exclusive 12% discount code.
